How do i stop ants from eating my salvia flowers?
Question:Ants are sucking the life out of my victoria blue salvia. The leaves are shrivelling up and they won't flower. How can I get rid of the ants and keep them gone?
Answers:
Ants most likely aren't the problem, they are just drinking the flowers nectar. Try making your own insecticidal soap: Mix 5 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid with a gallon of water, pour into a spray bottle and spray your plants about every 10 days. This method actually washes away an insects protective coating and works well for aphids or any type of soft shelled insect but it must contact the insect to work. Salvia is prone to verticillium wilt, which causes the leaves to turn yellow and die, poor flower production and stunted growth. I checked a gardening book and it says there is unfortunately no chemical control so you may want to try another variety of salvia.
savin powder...good luck
ANTS are not the culprits, they don't eat flowers.
Use a good insecticide dust on them to kill whatever IS eating them.aphids, most likely.
If it's still available, use Isotox. If not, try Triazicide. If you know an older neighbor, see if they have any Diazianon.
More Related Questions & Answers...