Big black ants on all of my peony bulbs. Are they helping or hurting? SW USA

by jim_bob_jones

25 Comments

  1. ChubbyRacoon87

    Helping! These ants eat the wax off the bulbs to help your flowers boom. Enjoy!

  2. luckybarrel

    Ants eat the nectar from peony buds and kill any pests in return. It’s a mutually beneficial interaction. Biological mutualism.

  3. Ornery_Cricket_7908

    Helping it come out of its shell! I got worried the first time I saw them too.

  4. BigBroccoli7910

    My Grandmother used to tell me they help the peonies open/bloom.

  5. magictubesocksofjoy

    helping! the ants eat harmful bugs.

  6. Whyamionlyfivefttall

    I don’t trust ants either lol. The comments say this time it’s good. Usually ants are plotting something evil.

  7. Content-Grade-3869

    You simply explain to the ants that you’ll provide the peonies as long as they agree to not ruin your picnics!

  8. Far_Group979

    He’s just havin a snack, and in return you get the pretty flowers 🤩🤩

  9. scientificflunky

    Hey guys, just a PSA: Ants are NOT “helping the flower bloom”. Peonys bloom just fine even with no ant presence. There is a symbiosis happening here, but it’s more along the lines of ants providing protection from other pests in exchange for nectar consumption. Hope you have some beautiful blooms this year!

  10. StarStruck1180

    I alwayyyyyyys see ants on poppies. LOVE IT!

  11. yikesthatsme22

    Peonys are very sweet. You’ll get lots of ants and boxelders. Gorgeous flower but the bugs are everywhere.

  12. lurkinglookylou

    They just come and help things along…
    Time to open the flowers and bring in fresher food

  13. IronChefOfForensics

    Making love to that Peony so that it blooms into a beautiful fragrant flower

  14. MaleficentWalruss

    I didn’t know about ants and peonies… until after I blasted the area with ant spray. Luckily the flowers didn’t seem to mind!

  15. Scary-Tomato-6722

    For Peonies to flower you need ants. I’m not sure what they do to the bud

  16. marteautemps

    I used to call them “ant bushes” when I was little, I never thought to find out why the ants like them so much when I grew up.

  17. JulieTheChicagoKid

    What a sight!! Can’t wait for some buds on mine. I think the ants are waiting close by!!

  18. chefjenga

    Peoneys = ants (thats why people typically plant them a bit away from houses….or so says my mom who absolutely LOVED when child me would “bring in flowers for her” from the bush a previous tenant has inexplicably planted right at the foundation of the house I grew up in lol. Eventually I was old enough to know to shake them upside down before bringing them in).

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