Do Peonies Attract Ants, and How Do You Get Rid of Them?
With their delicately puffy blooms and vibrant pink hue, it's nearly impossible not to get wrapped up in the peony hype. But, before you gather a new bouquet to dress up your kitchen windowsill, know that these springtime blooms can actually welcome some unwanted insects.
According to the University of Missouri's Integrated Pest Management, peonies do in fact attract ants-but why? Essentially, because they're so sweet (as if we didn't already know that).
Budding peonies secrete nectar that ants, in turn, rely on for food. Once ants discover this source of sustenance in your flowerbed, they'll climb up the stem, take their fill, and then eventually move on to another plant for nourishment.
As for the plants themselves, florist Denise Fasanello says that absolutely no harm comes to these pretty perennials if there's an ant invasion. "They’re not like flies or certain kids of aphids that you need spray to remove," she says of the insects. "If you see them in your garden, they’re not going to destroy your plant at all."
Fasanello also cites a common myth that peonies actually need ants to in order to bloom. "Peonies have kind of a sappy coating and there’s been this thought for a long time that the peonies in the garden need the ants to eat the sap, which allows them to open," she explains. "But, they will open regardless of whether an ant is eating or licking the sap off."
On the bright side, it's incredibly easy to pluck peonies without bringing any critters into your home (no need to pull out the pesticides). For a tried-and-true method, Fasanello says she dips flower buds that haven't fully opened in a bit of warm tap water. This helps ward off any ants and encourages the blooming process.
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