Bical and Sugar Ants

[lizasaur]

So, my pictures aren't as amazing as Larry's, but I still wanted to share this.

My bical is buzzing with activity! (the pitcher pictured also houses a little green spider under the lid- where it's poofed to, I don't know. I wanted a picture of it chillin under the lid though and I'd call the picture "Fang over Fang", only in mild relation to Naruto), but here, I've also found that sugar ants are busy running up and down the pot to feed from my bical's fangs.

 

[Clue]

Pretty!

 

[amphirion]

cute. just make sure the ants dont use the bical for farming aphids and scale. which they like to do.

 

[lizasaur]

everything got a light mist of neem today. all of the rain we've been having and fresh tender growth is just begging for trouble, lol. i've got my eye on them. methinks the spider does as well XD

 

[Clue]

cute. just make sure the ants dont use the bical for farming aphids and scale. which they like to do.

Some ants live in the hollow tendrils and kill weevils on the plants in their native Borneo... since bical has so much nectar, I don't think that the ants will go off to scale/aphid farming.

 

[kulamauiman]

really depends on the ants and their food sources. if short on sugar many will farm. Plant produces sugar then they might spend more time hunting down other insects for food.

 

[amphirion]

for sure there are ants that share a symbiotic relationship with the pitcher. however, those ants are found in borneo, and not here. this means that the genetic info that may help the ants incline to symbiosis with the pitcher might not be there. the ants for sure though do have the genetic info to predispose them to farm sap suckers.

@i<3: i know you mean well with a preemptive strike, but sometimes that can deteriorate the health of the plant as well as increase the immunity of certain pests. i would hold off the use of any type of control unless the damage or the pest is visible.

 

[lizasaur]

nothing was doused, but i'll keep that in mind =) no more until bests are seen! good advice, since that stuff isn't cheap @.@

 

[Nepenthes101]

Thats a very nice Bical there. I used to grow a Bical red that grew over 2 feet in diameter for me. There very easy growers.