Question From: New York, United States
Q: A few questions... there are suddenly ants in my vegetable garden. How do I get rid of them and does this mean there are aphids on my plants? Also some of my radishes have weird looking leaves that are fuzzy and sort of roll inwards. Could this mean they are infested with bugs or fungus? How do I treat the soil in order to rid the garden of any pests? Thanks
A: Treating soil to rid it of insects results in killing off beneficial insects and biologicals, which invites more pest and disease. Ants are considered beneficials and are not necessarily an indication of aphids. There is no pesticide that I know of that rids the soil of insects that is safe for use in the lawn or garden. Here's a link from Harvard that discusses the value of ant. http://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/ants/ecological-importance There are several diseases that attack radishes. Check out this link for more information. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/radish/treating-radish-diseases.htm Best And Happy Yardening, Nancy
