We’ve noticed we don’t find monarch caterpillars on milkweed plants that have ants on them. We’ve also noticed if ants start coming on a plant with a caterpillar on it, the caterpillar disappears. It doesn’t seem to show up on a neighboring milkweed plant either.
I’m wondering if anyone has a way they keep ants off these plants so the caterpillars can continue their life cycle in peace.
The caterpillars might wander if food is low on the plant or when they want to make a chrysalis they often crawl off the plant.
Are your plants in the ground or in pots? Just curious cause I’ve had aphid problems across all of mine but never ants since I grow mine solely in pots.
Mine are all in the ground