Ants are Dying on Plants Again

peebee · April 28, 2015

I posted this below in 2012, hope I'm doing this right and it shows:
http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...t=sudden+death

Anyways, it is happening again, at the office garden, in another bed (I have 3 there) than last time. I took pics but it is pointless cuz all you'd see are shriveled dead ants on tomatoes leaves. No other bugs on, under, or near leaves. Lots of ants scurrying up and down the stems, and they will seem like they are stoned or dozing when they get on the leaves. The next day, they are dead.
In my past post, someone mentioned that perhaps it was the prickly parts of the plants that caused this; Out of several tomatoes, only one is exhibiting this weirdness and it is a Captain Lucky. The plant is smooth. There is another Captain Lucky in another bed and there are no ants anywhere on it.
The building I work in is in a warehouse commercial area. As far as I know, no one is manufacturing anything except food products like dressings etc. Most are just warehouse/storage places, but Im wondering if there is toxic waste here underground from long ago that is causing this? Why only one plant, and why in a different bed frm 2012? Come to think of it, it might have happened again since then but I just ignored it because I was not worried after posting about it.
And yet...I've searched the internet but have found no answers or a plausible reason why.

Anyone else seen this before?

Sun City Linda · April 28, 2015

r u killing those poor ants .....

peebee · April 28, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sun City Linda

r u killing those poor ants .....

Wasn't me, it was Captain Lucky, I swear!

heirloomtomaguy · April 28, 2015

Sounds like a great plant. Save seeds and share.

Labradors2 · April 28, 2015

My guess is that the warehouse is using chemicals to kill any insects that may come into contact with the food containers that they are storing. I'll bet the ants are eating or taking away the poison, taking it back to the nest, and then dying when they leave the nest and that it's nothing to do with your tomato plants.......

Linda

wormgirl · April 28, 2015

Linda makes a good point. But then I thought, "why only the one plant?" So I'm wondering if there could be more aphids on that plant that's attracting the ants?

heirloomtomaguy · April 28, 2015

I think Linda us right. They eat the poison then go about their business and die. Im not sure i would want to be eating tomatoes coming off of those plants.

Redbaron · April 28, 2015

Actually Tomatoes do have a pretty potent arsenal of anti pest toxins they produce. It's common in most Solanaceous plants. That's why hot peppers are hot! It's why only a few species of caterpillars eat them. It's why Jimson weed is so toxic. It's the reason for tobacco containing so much nicotine which is toxic. In fact many people thought for years tomatoes were probably toxic because most nightshade fruit (part of the solanaceous clan) is toxic.

It is entirely plausible that a trait found in wild tomatoes got activated, triggered by a pest attack...and now killing the ants.

pinklady5 · April 28, 2015

I always find dead ants on my plants and my plants are grown from seed at home. I find the ants dead stuck to the stems, head first. I don't use any chemicals.

Yentlsil · April 28, 2015

I thought capsaicine was why peppers are hot... is this wrong?

Redbaron · April 28, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yentlsil

I thought capsaicine was why peppers are hot... is this wrong?

no

Gardeneer · April 28, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yentlsil

I thought capsaicine was why peppers are hot... is this wrong?

Yes, Capsaicine is responsible for the heat in Capsicums.

peebee · April 28, 2015

I brought several of the dead ones in and looked under a magnifying glass. Yup, ants. Also, the warehouse I am in, does not have food products. I'm just saying what types of businesses are around here. The food place is pretty far from here. And we do not use any chemicals at all, no need to. We only have one pest problem here once a year, and that is ants. We use soap to plug up the holes where they are coming from. But I have a great idea---I will plant more tomatoes and that will kill them all off!

So folks, if you think about it, it is pretty strange. Again, this happens on only one or two plants at the most, in different beds no less. Very random, wouldn't you say? If the soil were toxic, wouldn't this happen on all 20 plants here?

Redbaron · April 28, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by peebee

I brought several of the dead ones in and looked under a magnifying glass. Yup, ants. Also, the warehouse I am in, does not have food products. I'm just saying what types of businesses are around here. The food place is pretty far from here. And we do not use any chemicals at all, no need to. We only have one pest problem here once a year, and that is ants. We use soap to plug up the holes where they are coming from. But I have a great idea---I will plant more tomatoes and that will kill them all off!

So folks, if you think about it, it is pretty strange. Again, this happens on only one or two plants at the most, in different beds no less. Very random, wouldn't you say? If the soil were toxic, wouldn't this happen on all 20 plants here?

You are correct. It is plausible you are witnessing the plant's defense mechanism.

I wouldn't call it strange though....see my post above.

bower · April 28, 2015

I'm interested in this because I have ant issues in the greenhouse. It was carpenter ants in years past, but this spring I have a different species - smaller queens - and they are the aphid tending variety.

I'm trying the "Ant B Gone Max" on them, which worked pretty well on the carpenter ants. I took away their aphids and put the drops out, and they run to it because there's nothing else to eat I guess.
Peebee, when ants are poisoned by boric acid or borax, which is what is in the AntBGone stuff mixed with sweetener, they act like you said, dozy or stoned, and later they are dead.
If ants are a problem in the area, what are the chances there are ant baits put out somewhere to poison them? Boric acid is the most common active ingredient, and isn't toxic to us.

That might be a best case scenario... unless tomatoes really do kill em! (And that would be good news, to me!)

April 28, 2015	#1
peebee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Southern CA Posts: 1,714	Ants are Dying on Plants Again I posted this below in 2012, hope I'm doing this right and it shows: http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...t=sudden+death Anyways, it is happening again, at the office garden, in another bed (I have 3 there) than last time. I took pics but it is pointless cuz all you'd see are shriveled dead ants on tomatoes leaves. No other bugs on, under, or near leaves. Lots of ants scurrying up and down the stems, and they will seem like they are stoned or dozing when they get on the leaves. The next day, they are dead. In my past post, someone mentioned that perhaps it was the prickly parts of the plants that caused this; Out of several tomatoes, only one is exhibiting this weirdness and it is a Captain Lucky. The plant is smooth. There is another Captain Lucky in another bed and there are no ants anywhere on it. The building I work in is in a warehouse commercial area. As far as I know, no one is manufacturing anything except food products like dressings etc. Most are just warehouse/storage places, but Im wondering if there is toxic waste here underground from long ago that is causing this? Why only one plant, and why in a different bed frm 2012? Come to think of it, it might have happened again since then but I just ignored it because I was not worried after posting about it. And yet...I've searched the internet but have found no answers or a plausible reason why. Anyone else seen this before?

April 28, 2015	#4
heirloomtomaguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: glendora ca Posts: 2,560	Sounds like a great plant. Save seeds and share. __________________ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

April 28, 2015	#7
heirloomtomaguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: glendora ca Posts: 2,560	I think Linda us right. They eat the poison then go about their business and die. Im not sure i would want to be eating tomatoes coming off of those plants. __________________ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

April 28, 2015	#8
Redbaron Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 4,488	Actually Tomatoes do have a pretty potent arsenal of anti pest toxins they produce. It's common in most Solanaceous plants. That's why hot peppers are hot! It's why only a few species of caterpillars eat them. It's why Jimson weed is so toxic. It's the reason for tobacco containing so much nicotine which is toxic. In fact many people thought for years tomatoes were probably toxic because most nightshade fruit (part of the solanaceous clan) is toxic. It is entirely plausible that a trait found in wild tomatoes got activated, triggered by a pest attack...and now killing the ants. __________________ Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture

April 28, 2015	#2
Sun City Linda Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: SoCal Inland Posts: 2,705	r u killing those poor ants .....

April 28, 2015	#5
Labradors2 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Ontario Posts: 3,896	My guess is that the warehouse is using chemicals to kill any insects that may come into contact with the food containers that they are storing. I'll bet the ants are eating or taking away the poison, taking it back to the nest, and then dying when they leave the nest and that it's nothing to do with your tomato plants....... Linda

April 28, 2015	#6
wormgirl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Tacoma, WA Posts: 245	Linda makes a good point. But then I thought, "why only the one plant?" So I'm wondering if there could be more aphids on that plant that's attracting the ants?

April 28, 2015	#9
pinklady5 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Central NJ Posts: 234	I always find dead ants on my plants and my plants are grown from seed at home. I find the ants dead stuck to the stems, head first. I don't use any chemicals.

April 28, 2015	#10
Yentlsil Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: 8 Posts: 54	I thought capsaicine was why peppers are hot... is this wrong?

April 28, 2015	#15
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,794	I'm interested in this because I have ant issues in the greenhouse. It was carpenter ants in years past, but this spring I have a different species - smaller queens - and they are the aphid tending variety. I'm trying the "Ant B Gone Max" on them, which worked pretty well on the carpenter ants. I took away their aphids and put the drops out, and they run to it because there's nothing else to eat I guess. Peebee, when ants are poisoned by boric acid or borax, which is what is in the AntBGone stuff mixed with sweetener, they act like you said, dozy or stoned, and later they are dead. If ants are a problem in the area, what are the chances there are ant baits put out somewhere to poison them? Boric acid is the most common active ingredient, and isn't toxic to us. That might be a best case scenario... unless tomatoes really do kill em! (And that would be good news, to me!)