---
title: "Hello, just wondering if anyone has encountered ghost ants? I’ve…"
description: "Hello, just wondering if anyone has encountered ghost ants? I’ve heard of spider mites, mealy bugs, scale etc… but I Haven’t heard anyone talk about ghost…"
url: "https://getplanta.com/community/lKxUkhzRR_aIJD7o1QvtwQ/WZ0Ta38QH9TXkmmrmX0HrD"
community: "Pests, diseases and problems"
author: "Borg Family Plants"
published: "2025-09-18T04:00:07.266559Z"
language: "en"
image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v2/cloudinary/global_data/communities/pestsDiseasesAndProblems.jpg"
---

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# Hello, just wondering if anyone has encountered ghost ants? I’ve…

_Posted by Borg Family Plants on 2025-09-18_

Hello, just wondering if anyone has encountered ghost ants? I’ve heard of spider mites, mealy bugs, scale etc… but I Haven’t heard anyone talk about ghost ants. I live in Michigan, I placed an order from a Florida nursery, when the plants arrived I checked them all, the Florida Ghost I ordered was completely infested with these little buggers. Immediately took the plant outside and removed all the soil and placed the plant in water for now. I haven’t seen any sign of the ants in the other plants I ordered, but I’m not sure if there could be eggs either. Any suggestions on what to do, how long to quarantine, etc?

## 5 comments

### Buffy commented on 2025-09-18

I live in MI, too. Very interesting. Following. Are they called ghost ants because they are almost translucent?

#### Borg Family Plants replied on 2025-09-18

They have a dark head, but the rest of their bodies and legs are clear. From what the nursery told me they are harmless to the plant… from what the internet told me they are extremely hard to get rid of once you have them.

### Hayley commented on 2025-09-18

I would put all the plants from that shipment in netting (so the ants can't escape into your other plants) and wait. Ants typically live a few weeks, I would probably keep them quarantined for at least 8-10 weeks.  
If you do see more ant activity, get some ground beetles. Make sure to get a carnivorous species; omnivores will also eat your plants. Once you no longer see signs of ants or eggs, the ground beetles should be safe to release outside in a yard or garden (but please double check local regulations first!)

#### Borg Family Plants replied on 2025-09-18

Wow, thank you so much Hayley! I appreciate the advice.

#### Hayley replied on 2025-09-19

No problem and good luck! Hopefully you've flushed the infestation out already and keeping an eye on them is just a precaution ☺️

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