It Is Possible Ants Could Be Eating Seeds For The Garden

Q. I have a lot of ants where I planted seeds in the spring, but nothing came up. I've eliminated most of the common problems, such as bad soil, lack of moisture and sun. Is it possible that the ants are eating the seeds?

A. Yes, it is possible that ants are eating your seeds. Ants are wonderful dispersers of seeds, moving them away from the parent plant so they can have a better chance of survival. They do this in two ways.

Some seeds (violet, for example) have caps (called myrmecochores) over the end that contain proteins, oils, and possibly chemicals that attract the ants. Foraging ants will eat the myrmecochores and leave the seed behind. If conditions are right, the seed will germinate at that site and you will see plants growing away from where you originally sowed them. Most seeds that you buy will probably have the myrmecochores broken off due to packaging and shipping. The seeds are not harmed by the loss of the myrmecochore and germinate normally.

The most common way for ants to disperse seeds is to take them back to their colonies to store and to eat. Many ants do this, but harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex spp.) are well-known for this behavior. Harvesters are most prevalent in Eastern Washington and the Columbia Basin. The ants are mid-sized and reddish to reddish-brown in color. If you were to look very closely you could see that they have a "beard" on their "chin" consisting of a fringe of long hairs. But if you do look closely, take great care because their bite is like a yellow jacket sting. Not much fun!

Before you go out to find and destroy any nearby ant colony, consider that many species are important predators in the garden. The lack of germination of your seeds may be caused by overheating, the previous use of herbicides in the area of your planting bed, or old seed. Test the soil by planting some radishes which should germinate quickly. Then test seed germination by soaking the seeds in lukewarm water for an hour, then wrapping them in a paper towel for 2 days.

Gardening runs Friday in Scene and Sunday in Home/Real Estate. It is prepared by Mary Robson, Master Gardener program director, Holly Kennell, Washington State University/King County Cooperative Extension agent, Susan Miller, integrated pest management specialist, and volunteer Master Gardeners.