I immediately squished them and knocked them off, but have no idea what they are doing.
Why would there be ants on my buds?
That's normal. The ants don't seem to harm the buds or flowers any. A lot of growers ignore them.
Sheila
Well how strange. I'm glad they aren't hurting it. I'm sure they're doing "something", now I'm really curious.
LOL -- ants and peonies go hand in hand :) I remember as a little girl searching through the petals of my mom's peonies, watching all the bazillion ants climbing in and out and all around. Good reason to check your blooms well if you want to bring any cut flowers inside :) They won't bother your peonies, though, just a funny attraction they have, I guess....
Hugs :)
Is it true that peonies won't open their buds without ants? That somehow the ants are what cause the buds to open? That's what Grandma always said.
No, it's not true. There is a sugary substance on the peony bud and that does attract ants and other insects, but ants or any other insect are not required for peonys to open. It's just an old-wives tale.
Diann
My friend told me this today, about the ants and how they like something on the buds. I'm glad they aren't hurting it, and glad they aren't FIRE ANTS!
No more squishing the poor, wittle ants :(
Show us pics of your peonies, please!!!
Hugs :)
No more squishing...I felt bad when I found they were just eating. I don't have any blooms yet. This is a pic of the plant tho. I can't believe it's alive and well in this horrible corner of this bed. (so ignore the background of clay clods and left over mulch...this will all be cleaned up soon)
Wow! That was fast :) Thanks!
I'm sure before you know it that little gal will be up and running :) Amazes me... the whole growth process....
Thanks again,
Hugs
Yea, last spring I rushed out and purchased some insecticide to kill off all the ants that were invading my peonies. My wife hates ants in the house and I did not want her to think that my garden was part of the cause. Luckily I researched the topic before using the insecticide.
There does seem to be some people that believe that the blooms will not open unless the ants eat off the sticky substance. I don't know if it is true or not but it sounds like a good thing to tell the wife if she insists that I spray the ants.
- Brent
Brent, your secret is safe with us! We all must cover for each other. ;)
kkb, great see that you are able to grow peonies. Heck, I'm further north than you! Does yours get afternoon shade?
John
Right now it gets morning sun. As the season progresses it will get more sun and it does tend to get a little crispy.