---
title: "I just picked up my baby ponytail palms planter and saw all these…"
description: "I just picked up my baby ponytail palms planter and saw all these dead below in the clay saucer. Not sure if they’re upside down ants or something else or what…"
url: "https://getplanta.com/community/lZ7uAE3pQ86jnFGxrCwLrg/648d15165ab95c48001dd262"
community: "Anything about plants"
author: "Jon"
published: "2023-06-17T02:06:14.6Z"
language: "en"
image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/Keep7Kvmo_0W0ZWRLN-qUIY99JrbEnTe0rDsQmSJOxk/45e92493c344482090ecc392811c0ce9.webp?size=large"
---

[Community](https://getplanta.com/community.md) / [Anything about plants](https://getplanta.com/community/lZ7uAE3pQ86jnFGxrCwLrg.md)

# I just picked up my baby ponytail palms planter and saw all these…

_Posted by Jon on 2023-06-17_

I just picked up my baby ponytail palms planter and saw all these dead below in the clay saucer. Not sure if they’re upside down ants or something else or what the white stuff is. Anything should be aware of? And any specific way I should clean them? Thanks so much for any help you might be able to provide! Hope y’all are having a great weekend!

![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/Keep7Kvmo_0W0ZWRLN-qUIY99JrbEnTe0rDsQmSJOxk/45e92493c344482090ecc392811c0ce9.webp?size=large)

## 9 comments

### Rhonda commented on 2023-06-17

Are there any live ants in the pot? I’m wondering if they were making a home in your plant or somewhere nearby and they were carrying some bait or something that killed them??

#### Jon replied on 2023-06-17

They were all dead. I rotate it a lot so I was wondering if maybe there was a way for them to get in initially but then at some point got stuck. But maybe it’s about them drinking the wrong water as the below comment said. I think I used organic cactus liquid fertilizer for the first time with them last time. Thanks for the help :)

### mj🪷cultivates commented on 2023-06-17

White stuff is salt build up from hard tap water and yah… dead ants they just chose the wrong water

### mj🪷cultivates commented on 2023-06-17

Give it a drink the next couple of times with distilled or purified water or rainwater (the best). will help pull out extra salts from the pot and soil. O

#### Jon replied on 2023-06-17

Thanks for all the tips! Cool I have a life straw home filter and can use that! I live in apartment and my balcony is covered so rain water would be hard. I have a stream nearby but I figure that comes with risk for a succulent especially haha

### Bug boy commented on 2023-06-17

Dead Pharaoh ants if you were wondering

#### Jon replied on 2023-06-17

You are the master! Appreciate it!

### K. Alexandra commented on 2023-06-17

Those are dead sugar ants. Even though they are dead, I suggest that you repot your plant to make sure they didn’t build a nest there and that babies are sitting in the soil. I had an Aglaonema that they just loved—the little tiny sugar ants. It took me two days to find all the ants. It was a whole colony that just happened overnight. Always look at your plant babies!

#### Jon replied on 2023-06-18

Thanks so much for the help! I really appreciate it! Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!

---

_Source: the Planta community (https://getplanta.com). Reading is open to everyone. To post, comment and like, get the Planta app: https://getplanta.com/download_