Questions about ants on peonies

"Help, I've got ants on peonies, and they're all over the buds. Can I spray them?"

Answer: Contrary to popular belief, ants on peonies don't harm the flowers at all, so there's no reason to spray them.

If you have ants in the garden, they will be attracted to a sugary coating that is on the peony flower buds.

So don't worry too much: these insects may get a lot of bad press, but they don't harm peonies at all.

Granted, they can be a nuisance if you're cutting peonies for display in vases.

To get the ants off your flowers, dip them into a pail of cool water for about half a minute or so to swish the insects off before you take your flowers into the house.

A lot of gardeners think that peonies need ants for their buds to open. But this is another common myth that just won't go away. There's absolutely no truth to this old wives tale.

Can I spray the ants?

So is it a good idea to use pesticides to get rid of the ants?

Answer: You and your garden are better off if you don't. These insects don't hurt your peonies, but indiscriminate spraying of pesticides will kill off beneficial pollinators, and leave harmful residues that you don't want on flowers for the house.

Related information:

Go from Ants on Peonies back to Peonies

Solving peony problems

Peony care - planting, staking, division

Growing peonies from seed

More tips on cutting your own garden flowers

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