Cucumber plants attract other insects like aphids and whiteflies that produce honeydew. Honeydew is rich in sugar and this is what attracts ants on cucumber plants. Ants can survive on honeydew alone and if they keep coming back to your plants, it means that there is a lot of honeydew on them.
Ants can live on cucumber plants and destroy their lives and stems. Those plants have broad and wide leaves that provide a good hiding spot. After other pests have left honeydew on the leaves, ants will move in and hide under the leaves while eating honeydew stains on cucumber leaves.
In some cases, you may think that ants are eating your cucumber plants. This is because if they are too many, ants may make holes in the leaves. Those holes will drain the plant and sooner or later, the leaves may die. Ants do not eat cucumber or the plants but they may make holes on the leaves and stem while eating the honeydew drops on them.
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Will ants hurt cucumber plants
Not all ants are are destructive to plants. However, some like the leafcutter and fire ants can hurt cucumber plants especially if they are still young, soft, and tender. A large-scale infestation of ants in the soil can also discourage the growth of young plants.
Another problem with ants on cucumber plants is that they are known for farming aphids or other pests that will destroy a cucumber’s leaf growth by feeding off its sap. Ants on cucumber plants are attracted to honeydew produced by other insects like aphids, mealybugs, or leafhoppers on the leaves and stem.
Black ants on cucumber plants
Black ants on cucumber plants are known as Argentine ants. They are attracted to the plants if there is an infestation of other insects that0 produce honeydew. If there is a good amount, they will nest around the plant roots. They are seen crawling on the cucumber stems and leaves while hunting for honeydew left by other insects.
They are commonly known as sugar ants because they love sweet food and fluids. It has been proved that they protect other pests that produce honeydew because they need them. They can only hurt cucumber plants if they seriously multiply. They dig deep tunnels near the plant roots which can easily harm young cucumbers plants with weak roots.
Red ants on cucumber plants
Fire ants on cucumber plants can be extremely detrimental to cucumber plants. They can live off the honeydew that is left behind by other pests and sometimes feed on plant sap. They can chew through leaves, stems, and even flowers of cucumber plants causing damage to the plant itself. Red ants are usually very small in size and are also known as fire ants.
During an infestation, fire or red ants stay hidden under cucumber plant leaves while feeding on the honeydew that has been left behind. They can also feed on the sap from cucumber plants’ leaves, especially if they are near aphids or mites that have already started feeding off of them.
Since they have sharp mouth parts that can cut, they will stay under leaves while chewing through plant stems and flowers to get at the sap inside of them. They usually come in large numbers and if there is nothing to feed on, they can destroy young cucumber plants. They should never be left to breed in the garden since they can also kill important insects and worms that come out after rains.
How to get rid of ants on cucumber plants
You need to get rid of insects that produce honeydew if you want to get rid of ants. There are several ways to get rid of these pesky insects from your garden: First try spreading Diatomaceous earth around your plant’s base, which is non-toxic for humans but not so much for bugs.
This can also be applied to the leaves to kill and deter ants plus other pests on the leaves. Attentively, you may spray pine sol for ants on cucumber leaves, stems, and around the roots because it can repel and kill them on contact.
1. Natural repellents
It is important to also get rid of insects that produce honeydew because that is one of the major ant attractions around cucumber plants. Spray plants with neem oil to get rid of ants on cucumber plants and other insects like aphids, mites, or whiteflies.
You can also spray an organic insecticide containing thyme oil or cedar oil around the base of your plant as well. These oils don’t kill immediately like standard chemical sprays do and are safer to use for cucumber plants in a backyard garden.
You can also spray an organic insecticide containing thyme oil or cedar oil around the base of your plant as well. These oils don’t kill immediately like standard chemical sprays do and are safer to use for cucumber plants in a backyard garden.
2. Soapy water
Another method that can be used to get rid of ants on cucumber plants is to spray the leaves with a natural soap mixture. Dish soap can kill ants if mixed with water and sprayed on the ants. They do not like when they are wet and don’t stand a chance against this method.
Spray the cucumber leaves and stem with a mixture of 125ml of water, 80ml dish soap, and 50ml cooking oil. Spray the leaves thoroughly to ensure it coats everything. The ants won’t want to touch anything that has been treated with this solution because they are sensitive to its taste.
A solution of lemon juice and dish soap in water mixed in equal amounts can also work against ants on cucumber plants. It’s really easy to make but it can be time-consuming depending on how many plants you have that need to deal with.
3. Insect repelling plants
There are some types of plants that repel insects like ants. Those can be grown around an ant-infested garden to help in keeping them away. While some of those plants like mint may smell good to humans, they will disrupt the ants’ pheromones. This is is one of the best ways to deter ants without hurting your cucumber plantation.
Bait them using orange peels that are blended with mint leaves. This is done by peeling oranges then blending them with equal amounts of mint leaves. However, this can only work if there is a small population of ants in a small area. If you are dealing with a big colony of ants on a wide area in a cucumber plantation, it is impossible to use such control measures.
4. Baits
Baits and traps can only work on a small colony. Trap them by placing a mixture of baking soda and sugar mixed in equal proportions near their nests so they will carry some particles back home where they breed new generations of pests every month year-round instead of just one or two.
Apply spinosad granules directly on the ground for ants around your plantation to keep them at bay while allowing you to harvest healthy crops without exposure to harmful chemicals. You can also mix it in water and spray it over all areas where stinging pests are known to congregate before they become a problem for your cucumbers too!
