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ants farm aphids - they don't eat them, they encourage them.
ladybirds (grubs and beetles) and hoverfly (grubs only I think) eat them.
discourage the ants and you should have fewer aphids too.sorry no advice on the rose.
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Roses are tough cookies. I'd just pick a nice dry day and give it a blast with a hose to wash out any loose soil
hoefla
rhowe
@hugo7
Anything I can do to protect the stem (trunk almost) of this rose?
Ants usually nest there, and I guess what has happened is they've built up soil that I've brushed away, but some of it has still remained and started to hold water and damage it.
I'm thinking use a paint brush to clean it out. Then keep on top of any ants that come back there with ant killer.
I'm guessing the reason they nest there and at my other one is to eat the aphids that usually end up on them.
Anything else I should be aware of?
Cheers.
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