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        New Message Board Archives >> 2007 General Board Posts >> Gardening Question (Update)
        
(Message started by: barry_sword on Jun 16^th, 2007, 7:06am)

Title: Gardening Question (Update)
Post by barry_sword on Jun 16^th, 2007, 7:06am

Angie said to check on the net about this and I said I would ask my CH family as they are a knowledgeable bunch.

We have these Pianese plants and when they are about to bloom we see ants on them and then these other bugs show up on them and the flower dies within a day or two after they arrive.

They are such a beautiful flower and it is a shame to see them bloom for such a short period.

Any advise? Thanks.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7d837b3127cce85bfa8937d6000000026101AZtGrZu5asU

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7d837b3127cce85bfa89efc5d00000026101AZtGrZu5asU

Title: Re: Gardening Question
Post by E-Double on Jun 16^th, 2007, 7:08am

highly diluted ivory dishwashing soap.......mist them.
It will keep the bugs off without harming the plant/flowers

Title: Re: Gardening Question
Post by barry_sword on Jun 16^th, 2007, 7:35am

Thanks, we will try that. These are the only flowers we have.
They were here when we bought the house back in 1993 so we kinda want to keep them. :)

Barry

Title: Re: Gardening Question
Post by kayarr on Jun 16^th, 2007, 8:37am

Those are peonie. They should smell amazing and I think the ants have a symbiotic relationship with the flowers. Ear wigs seem to like them as well. The bugs don't seem to hurt them.

Kimberly

Too early to see the beetles:) I don't know about those. These flowers don't last long by nature and when they are gone, they are gone.

Title: Re: Gardening Question
Post by Mosaicwench on Jun 16^th, 2007, 8:39am

The ants are s'posed to be there; they are attracted to the sweet nectar in the blooms.

Those other evil things I have never seen (and I've been gardening since Noah (of Noah and the Ark) was a baby) . . . . . They may also be attracted by the nectar and aren't doing any real harm to the plant.

Peony blooms don't last long and you may need to dig and divide them if they aren't blooming like they have in the past. They do get crowded and then stop producing.

The bad part is that whatever you divide and move won't bloom for two years.

I found some information online for you:

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1241.html

http://www.farm-garden.com/perennials/peony

http://gardening.about.com/od/plantprofile1/p/Peonies.htm

Title: Re: Gardening Question
Post by BMoneeTheMoneeMan on Jun 16^th, 2007, 12:12pm

Insecticidal soap is a good thing. E2 gave you a receipe for homemade insecticidal soap. U also might want to get a couple bottles of some stuff from the store. Most brands are Organic.

I would assume the second bugs show up to eat the ants. If you get rid of the ants, the second bugs might not come around.

U also could find an ant predator. I dont know what eats ants, maybe lady bugs. But you could get lady bugs to put on the plants and they will eat the ants. Being that they are outdoors, the lady bugs will disperse rather quickly, but at least their tummys will be full.

Title: Re: Gardening Question
Post by thebbz on Jun 16^th, 2007, 12:21pm

We have them back home in Montana. I'm homesick now.
Use them to keep the ants away from the house. The ants chew on the sweet leaves around the bloom. the other bugs eat the ants.......nature at it's finest.
all the best
jb

Title: Re: Gardening Question
Post by BarbaraD on Jun 16^th, 2007, 1:05pm

Sprinkle baby powder in your flower beds. That should eliminate the ants. Hey, don't laugh - it works....

Hugs BD

Title: Re: Gardening Question
Post by Brewcrew on Jun 16^th, 2007, 1:08pm

But ants on peonies usually means healthy peonies. I wouldn't try to get rid of them. Unless they're coming into your house.

And I'm pretty sure ladybugs eat aphids, not ants.

Title: Re: Gardening Question
Post by eyes_afire on Jun 16^th, 2007, 3:00pm

Looks like a beetle in the genus Macrodactylus. Possibly a Rose Chafer (Macrodactylus subspinosus) but it's difficult to tell for sure from your pic.

--- Steve

Title: Re: Gardening Question
Post by klusterkopf on Jun 16^th, 2007, 8:59pm

Perhaps the bugs have good taste? Beautiful flower!

Title: Re: Gardening Question
Post by barry_sword on Jun 17^th, 2007, 7:23am

This is another pic of the bug. He can fly too. This is what my beautiful flower looks like after 24 hours with this bug infestation.

Thanks for all the tips, maybe we can do better with it next year as it is done for this year. Sure did smell nice though yesterday.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7d836b3127cce85a0600605f600000026101AZtGrZu5asU

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7d836b3127cce85a0600384c300000026101AZtGrZu5asU

Barry

Title: Re: Gardening Question (Update)
Post by Paul98 on Jun 17^th, 2007, 7:37am

The beatle is a Japanese Beatle. Very distructive. They seem to come in mini plagues around here some years. The ants aren't the ones causing the damage, it's the beatle. They jave traps you can buy to lure the beatles into and kill them. Noodle Japanese Beatle on the web and look for reamidies.

-P.

Title: Re: Gardening Question (Update)
Post by Mosaicwench on Jun 17^th, 2007, 8:47am

Japanese beetle photo
http://www.ces.purdue.edu/CES/Marion/Images/Hort/Japanese%20Beetle%2050.JPG

Don't know if that's what you have but they are indeed destructive. Yours seem to be mining the flower petals like leaf miners.

You can hand pick them and toss them in a bucket of soapy water - they die eventually. Reducing the population now means fewer next year. I had a 5 gallon bucket filled with Box Elder bugs a few years ago - not many around now!

Title: Re: Gardening Question (Update)
Post by TomM on Jun 17^th, 2007, 9:30am

Is it possible this is your beetle?
TomM

"Tiger Beetle - Cicindela campestris
Description. This species is known as the Common or Green Tiger Beetle. Adult 12-16 mm long, colour rather variable in shades of green with 4 or 5 yellowish-white markings on each elytron. Margins of the elytra and parts of the thorax, head and legs brilliant coppery red. Front piece of the head whitish in colour and bearing large sickle-shaped mandibles which cross-over each other when closed.

Biology. Long-legged, fast-running beetles found in spring and summer in areas of light or sandy, well-drained soil. Fond of sunning themselves on the ground and readily fly when disturbed. Both adults and larvae are fierce carnivores, feeding on insects and other invertebrates. The larvae live in vertical burrows in the soil, lying in wait for passing prey."

Title: Re: Gardening Question (Update)
Post by Luke63 on Jun 17^th, 2007, 10:44am

Peonies are supposed to have ants...thats whatmakes them open...and they r a short lived flower anyhow 2-3 day max..good luck!!! Luke

Title: Re: Gardening Question (Update)
Post by pattik on Jun 17^th, 2007, 11:02am

I'm pretty sure your pic is of a rose chafer. Here is a pic from a
U.W. entomologist.
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/wihort/flowers/RoseChafers.htm
http://i10.tinypic.com/6b042e9.jpg

Title: Re: Gardening Question (Update)
Post by Kevin_M on Jun 17^th, 2007, 11:15am

English Beatles

http://beatlesnumber9.com/beat04.jpg

http://beatlesnumber9.com/paulsgt.gif http://beatlesnumber9.com/george.gif http://beatlesnumber9.com/ringo.gif http://beatlesnumber9.com/john.gif

Title: Re: Gardening Question (Update)
Post by barry_sword on Jun 17^th, 2007, 2:00pm

Thank you all for the help, I knew this was the place to come for advise. Next year we will try some of things you all suggested.

I told Angie if you need some advise on something just ask here on this site. You's are the best so THANK-YOU VERY MUCH! [smiley=thumb.gif]

Kevin, English Beatles [smiley=laugh.gif] [smiley=laugh.gif]

Barry

Title: Re: Gardening Question (Update)
Post by TomM on Jun 18^th, 2007, 3:01pm

on 06/17/07 at 11:15:39, Kevin_M wrote:

English Beatles
http://beatlesnumber9.com/beat04.jpg
http://beatlesnumber9.com/paulsgt.gif http://beatlesnumber9.com/george.gif http://beatlesnumber9.com/ringo.gif http://beatlesnumber9.com/john.gif

I prefer John, Paul, George, and Ringo too.

Title: Re: Gardening Question (Update)
Post by Charlie on Jun 18^th, 2007, 8:42pm

We always had ants our our peonies. It's nothing to worry about.

The other creepy crawlers are something else again. http://www.netsync.net/users/charlies/gifs/fly zap.gif http://www.netsync.net/users/charlies/gifs/swat bug.gif

Charlie