Anyone noticed this too? Ants and Byblis seeds...

[Cindy]

I have two pots of B. liniflora plants that are flowering. Over the past few weeks, I've been pollinating the flowers and collecting the seeds conscientiously. I left the seeds to air dry before packing them into mini ziploc bags to be stored in the fridge. However, I noticed yesterday morning that some ants were carrying the seeds! I tried to get them to give up the seeds by tapping hard near them but they seem very persistent in taking the seeds away!

Today, I saw an open fruit capsule and it is empty. I checked the media and there are no seeds on it. The ants must have came back last night to plunder...

 

[jimscott]

Those Phillistines! They need to pay!

 

[jht-union]

Huh, that is very interesting and neat!

The ants will take the seeds and put them underground, the seeds will be store as energy(food), and sadly for the seeds, if they were like tubers or germinated under ground they will germinate, but since they don't they will die.

 

[MICKEY]

smart ants lots of good food in seeds

 

[Cindy]

Those ants went for my Drosophyllum seedling today!!!!

 

[Heli]

you should put a tiny electric fence around the plants

 

[LeafKirby]

It's time to get out the shotgun.

 

[Api]

Or Raid.

 

[Heli]

I have some spare nukes...

 

[cpsammich]

how are they getting to the seeds without getting stuck

 

[LeafKirby]

how are they getting to the seeds without getting stuck

Its magic!

 

[Sig]

Caffeinated poppy seeds! better eating and it will MAKE THOSE SUCKERS PAY.