This article is reposted from the old WordPress incarnation of Not Exactly Rocket Science. The blog is on holiday until the start of October, when I’ll return with fresh material. In your garden, ...

Do you know how to recognize one of the most common types of ants in the U.S.? Field ants could be hiding under your nose, ...

The ants protect the aphid colonies from insect predators and fungal infections and in some cases may take the aphids into shelter from inclement weather. In a few cases the aphids have evolved a way ...

Symbiotic ants manipulate aphid reproduction rates to achieve a specific mix of green and red aphids, maintaining the inferior green aphids which produce the ants' favorite snack. Ants and aphids ...

Ants and aphids on a poplar leaf: When aphids infest plants, ants are often also present. The ants do not prey on the small insects, but are interested in their honeydew. In return, they even protect ...

Dealing with pesky critters can be a never-ending battle for most homeowners. While commercial pest control products are ...

Ant–aphid mutualisms can generate cascade effects on the host plants, but these impacts depend on the ecological context. We studied the consequences of ant–aphid interactions on the reproductive ...

In mutualistic interactions, partners obtain a net benefit, but there may also be costs associated with the provision of benefits for a partner. The question of whether aphids suffer such costs when ...

Some ants treat their own infections by eating aphids containing an antiseptic ingredient. In previous laboratory experiments, silky ants (Formica fusca) with fungal infections chose to eat food laced ...

Ants are tiny so that it’s nearly impossible to keep them out of your house, says Bertone. But these tips can help: · Remove thick mulch up against your home, and trim tree limbs and shrubs so they ...