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Morning glories are beautiful, fragrant flowers that wake up with the sun and add vibrant color to your garden. Morning glories are hardy plants and are normally healthy, but sometimes insects on morning glory vines harm the health of the plant. Yellow, wilting leaves are telltale signs that your plant has an insect problem.
With their bright, trumpet-shaped blooms and ability to thrive in sandy coastal environments, beach morning glories (Ipomoea pes-caprae) are a favorite vine for gardens near oceans and seas. However, these plants sometimes attract tiny unwelcome guests – ants! While ants may not directly damage beach morning glory plants, their presence indicates sap-sucking pests like aphids or scale insects. Getting rid of ants on beach morning glories protects plant health and keeps your garden looking its best. In this article, we’ll cover smart strategies to banish ants from your beach morning glories for good.
Understanding The Ant-Plant Relationship
Ants and plants often form symbiotic relationships. The key to managing ants on beach morning glory plants is understanding this interaction.
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Ants are attracted to the high-sugar nectar in morning glory flowers. This provides them with food.
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Ants also tend aphids, mealybugs, and scales that feed on plant sap. These pests excrete honeydew, which ants consume.
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In return, ants protect the sap-sucking insects from predators and parasites.
This means ants on beach morning glories signal a harmful pest infestation Controlling ants requires addressing the root cause – the other insects.
Effective Natural Ant Deterrents
Before turning to chemical solutions, try these natural remedies to evict ants from beach morning glories:
Diatomaceous Earth
Sprinkle diatomaceous earth a powder made from fossilized algae around plants. The sharp particles damage ants’ exoskeletons and cause dehydration.
Herbal Repellents
Ants detest strong aromas from herbs like mint, tansy, and basil. Interplant with beach morning glories or apply essential oils.
Coffee Grounds
Used coffee grounds scattered nearby overwhelm ants with an overpowering caffeinated smell.
Citrus Peels
Citrus rinds from lemons, oranges, grapefruit or limes contain oils ants find noxious. Place peels around plants.
Vinegar
Wipe down plants with equal parts vinegar and water to deter ants with vinegar’s pungent acidity. Avoid plant foliage.
Cinnamon
Sprinkling cinnamon powder creates a potent, spicy barrier ants won’t cross.
IPM Techniques To Eliminate Ants
Integrated pest management (IPM) combines multiple tactics for sustainable, eco-friendly ant control:
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Inspect for aphids/scales: Check undersides of leaves and stems where these pests hide. Remove by hand or use insecticidal soap sprays. This takes away the ant’s food source.
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Sticky barriers: Wrap stems with sticky tapes or apply petroleum jelly to prevent ants from climbing plants.
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Prune contact points: Trim back foliage touching structures ants use as bridges. This forces them to exposed ground.
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Beneficial insects: Release or attract ladybugs, lacewings, and other predators that eat ants and sap-sucking insects.
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Ant baits: Use as a last resort if ants persist. Place baits with slow-acting toxin near plants. Avoid allowing children/pets access.
Prevent Ant Invasions
Prevention is also key to keep beach morning glories ant-free. Follow these tips:
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Eliminate debris that offers nesting sites
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Quickly address any aphid/scale infestations
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Wash plants with strong spray of water to dislodge pests
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Apply row covers to exclude winged aphids
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Use mulch barriers around plants’ bases
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Prune plants for improved air circulation
With persistence and an integrated pest management approach, you can safely and effectively eliminate ants on beach morning glories. Combining preventive measures with gentle, eco-friendly control methods keeps your plants healthy and your garden pest-free. Say goodbye to ants on your beach morning glories for good!
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Morning Glory Pest Problems
There are two common types of insect pests affecting morning glories; both are sucking pests. One is the cotton aphid and the other sucking pest is a spider mite. Cotton aphids come in many colors. They like to attack the morning glory in the morning. They are difficult to see, but if you look closely, you will observe a mass of aphids on a leaf that is yellowed and crinkling. The spider mite sucks the sap from the underside of the leaf with its sharp mouth. By the time spider mites are detected, a considerable amount of damage will have been sustained by the morning glory. There are also insects that like to eat through the leaves and stems of the morning glory. The leaf miner drills tunnels into the leaves of the plant. A green caterpillar called a leafcutter feeds at night and severs the stem of the morning glory and a golden tortoise beetle makes small to medium holes in the foliage. If your morning glory plant is not treated for pests, they will eventually attack the vine. Pests of morning glory vine need to be eradicated as soon as you see them or evidence of their presence.
Morning Glory Pest Control
A successful way to rid your morning glory of aphids and spider mites is by syringing. Syringing will knock the pests from your plants by using a hard stream of water. To keep these insects under control, it is best if you repeat this process two times a week. Insecticidal soap and horticultural oils are also used in controlling pests. Both the soap and oil must make contact with the insects for them to be effective. You can also choose from natural pest controls or organic fungicides, like neem oil. You can also pluck the pests off with tweezers and drop them in soapy water. Doing this is the most environmentally safe way of ridding your morning glory of these pests. No matter which method you choose, be sure to be consistent and persistent as the health of your plant depends on your diligence.
Get Rid of Ants in the Garden NATURALLY
FAQ
How to keep ants off impatiens?
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