Ants in fruit bushes + white dust on leaves

This is actualy a double question about the same bush:

setting the scene:
I have a 3yr old Blackcurrent bush that does very well in a rather shady part of a small town garden. It gets a lot of reflected light all day and 2-3h of direct sun late pm. It is also slightly overhung by a Damson tree.

1) It does well until about Easter each year. Then the leaves start curling in and sticking together in balls. On closer instection it turns out that there are ants wandering up and down the stems and the leaves are stuck together by them and their tiny white eggs.

The ants seem to damage the "wood" of the stems from all their travels up and down.

I'm not realy Eco/Bio but would like to eat the fruit someday so I'm not sure if i can spray with an ant spray (as most of them have a big black X toxic symbol on them)

I have had a look around the www and only "bio" solution i seem to find is encouraging Ladybirds to hang out and feast on them.
Any ideas welcome!:gaagh:
I have taken to agressivly hosing the ends of the branches in frustration!:wallbang:


2) Towards mid summer I often notice a white dustiness on the leaves (on the roses across the garden too) and last year some leaves went black (burnt) at the edges before september kicked in.
Is this Fungal?
Any ideas?

 

Hi Crispy, it sounds like you may have aphids, froghopper nymphs or the like on the bush to start with which has caused the leaves to curl, the ants are probably "harvesting" the aphids which is why you'll see lots going back and to along the stems. The thing to do here is rid the bush of the aphids, either by a safe insecticide for fruit or simply finding them and either wash them off or scrape them off with your fingers.

The white powder you mention sounds like powdery mildew, try and remove the leaves with it on and destroy them, water the plants at the base only to prevent further spread. You can also try and apply a fungicide if you like; it is an unpleasant thing to look at but rarely fatal although it will stress a plant out if its repeatedly infected.

Hope this is of some help.....? :thumb:

 

Not wishing to advertise - cos it usually means the stuff sells out and I can't get the product when I need it - but:-
my favoured product for Ants is Nippon (comes in a Puffer carton). Apply the powder where the Ants run. They carry it back to the nest on their body and seems to cause an immediate reduction in the little pests.

It is however toxic, so care should be taken where Kids are involved.

 

A grease band, like you'd use on a fruit tree should stop the ants.

I should imagine the ants would fight off any ladybirds to protect their herd so without the ants the ladybirds could clean up.

 

ants & co

Thanks very much for your answers so far.

I'm trying to attach some pics to show off the beasts and after a good hosing they are still there.

Update: I've had a look at my local garden supplier and they have sprays for fruit bush fungi but no non toxic insecticides (if it is dagerous for pond life i am not keen to eat the fruit i've sprayed)
I'd just like to make sure I'm dealing with aphids.

I don't know about grease rings! I think I shall have to look those up. As some branches touch the wall I'll have to put defences there too. Cunning beggers these ants.

 

and the bush itself

bit scraggely because they've either eaten it or stuck it together