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Help I think I have may of found ant eggs in my philodendrons soil.… | Pests, diseases and problems | Planta community

Melody

Help I think I have may of found ant eggs in my philodendrons soil. It’s outdoors in a semi enclosed area and I noticed ants around but I just thought it was normal because it’s outside but the plants leaves weren’t looking the best so I looked at the soil and saw this. I immediately repotted the plant and washed off all the egg looking things. A ton of ants were also in the soil. I also sprays 1/3 part hydrogen proxied on the roots and leaves to kill any left over eggs or ants. I think sprayed a ton of neem oil on it to hopefully deter more ants from laying more eggs and have it a great new pot of soil. I’ve also ordered plant safe peppermint spray to deter ants further but if you know what those eggs are or know any other ways to kill the ants please send help.

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6 comments

  1. plantgeek

    i highly recommend taro liquid ant bait. i had the same problem and those cured it. they're wonderful, just remember to replace them

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    • Melody

      Thank you so much I’m looking into buying them now!

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  2. Cawajee

    Hi. Ive heard that philodendrons can come times release a nectar type liquid that attracts ants. They will usually do this to prevent disease. If you’re worried about more ants, I would change out the soil. Make sure that you wash the leaves, roots and stems really well then give it a brand new soil and pot.

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    • Melody

      I just changed the soil and washed everything thoroughly, thank you!

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  3. Waspinator

    Thise are not ant eggs; they're mycellium. That kind of mycellium is likely flowerpot parasol, which is a totally harmless mushroom that just likes similar conditions to houseplants. If you prefer to get rid of it, any fungicide (including the neem oil) will kill it, but it'll likely be back since it's very common in soil. As for the ants, liquid bait traps work fairly well, but if you have certain species (such as carpenter ants), you'll need to find one that's rated for them as a few species are resistant to the most common type of pesticide used. Other than that, make your space as undesirable to ants as possible. Check for any crumbs/foods they have access to and try to find and seal entry points. Also I've noticed ants are not a fan of strong wind, so you could put in a fan and aim it to make a harsh wind across any surfaces they vould walk on near your plants. If you allow spiders to help hunt pest insects for you, cellar spiders and jumping spiders are known to actively hunt ants

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    • Melody

      Thank you so much for the help!

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