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Why do ants seem to be nesting on my rhubarb?

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I have a rhubarb plant growing in a tub and have noticed that the area where the leaf joins the stalk is covered in ants. Any reason why they've suddenly decided to congregate here and how can i get rid of them without damage/contaminating my rhubarb?




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They won't be doing any damage to the rhubarb so don't worry about it. They are almost certainly feeding on the honeydew produced by aphids which are on the plant. The ants will be coming from a nest in the soil nearby. If the main stem of the rhubarb is accessible, I'd put some kind of greasy trap or band around the plant. If you don't mind using chemicals, put a complete ring of ant powder on the soil around the plant that the ants will have to cross.

1 Jul, 2009

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