I've noticed some ants hanging out in the blossoms of my yellow squash plants, which finally started producing flowers. I went ahead and hand-pollinated them with a male flower. It was dawn when I saw the ants, so I'm curious if they were just taking a break there or if there's something else going on. I initially thought they might be farming aphids, but I didn't find any. Is this normal?
3 Answers
I’ve seen ants doing the same thing in my cantaloupe flowers. They can be busy little creatures; I even caught them tackling a stink bug the other day! Just need to get them to focus on cucumber beetles next! But really, you’re fine; they help out more than you might think.
Don’t stress too much! Ants are usually attracted to the sweet nectar in flowers, so it’s pretty common to find them there. They’re likely just enjoying the flowers and aren't harmful to your plants at all!
I've had ants in my squash flowers too, and didn’t spot any aphids. At first, I was concerned like you, but they didn’t do any harm. Also, a little tip: if you’re feeling adventurous, you can eat the male flowers—just wash off the ants first! ?
I dunno, I always appreciate extra protein. Thanks for clearing that up! I’m still getting the hang of growing squash.