gooseberries

hi all,
Iv got 3 gooseberry bushes fruiting but can anybody tell me why ants have made their homes on the end of the branches? theyve curled the leaves round and when you touch them loads of ants come running out.
the plants are very healthy looking and fruiting like mad. Its the first time in years iv grown them and cant remember seeing ants on them in the past.


All adive welcome :o)




willow.x

 

Willow, if you open a leaf up, you will probably find aphids. Which is why there are ants. As they " farm " aphids.:thumb::D

 

Ants do not nest above ground so they are, I'm afraid, up to no good. They could be developing weapons of mass destruction in those leaves. Much more likely, they're creating aphid farms. You need to uncurl those leaves carefully and give them a squirt of insecticide like Provado's Ultimate Bug Killer.

Ants are such industrious little *****ers, it's a shame we always have to thwart their efforts.

 

How strange Willow. I'll have to go check my 3 gooseberry bushes now. Though there wasn't anything wrong with them yesterday.