Egg Plant question

[Whisker Trout Slayer]

This the first year we have a garden and everything is going good so far, but we wanted to try an eggplant. We bought one that was in a small pot and now is growing great. The problem is it is getting covered with ants. What can we put on to kill or repel the ants and not have to worry about getting sick when we eat the eggplant?

Thanks

[Nainoa]

This the first year we have a garden and everything is going good so far, but we wanted to try an eggplant. We bought one that was in a small pot and now is growing great. The problem is it is getting covered with ants. What can we put on to kill or repel the ants and not have to worry about getting sick when we eat the eggplant?

Thanks

Are the ants doing damage to the eggplant?

Do you know where the home colony is?

If not I would get some of those any poison traps that they take the poison back to the colony. Set them out near the eggplant with some kind of basic simple cover over them to keep the rain out. And see if that does the trick.

This kind of cold summer is actually the least favorable for eggplant,(They prefer lots of heat) so kudos that yours is doing so well... Mine are sulking, and only one of six has set fruit.

[pushbutton]

Ants can often be a sign that there are aphids on the plant. Some ants actually milk them for the honeydew the aphids secret. Might want to look closer at the new growth or buds for the aphids.

[Dotch]

Right on pushbutton. We've been finding aphids on solanaceous weeds such as black nightshade lately so it very well could be. Raising eggplant here we've had aphid issues in years past. The undersides of leaves as well as new growth on the plants were prime places to look. In addition to collecting the honeydew, ants ferociously protect the aphids from predators such as ladybugs, minute pirate bugs and lacewing larvae. Take out the aphids and the ants go away.