1. Which of the insects mentioned, the ants or aphids, is called ‘Honeypot’ and which is called ‘Cow’?

2, Aphids are garden pests. Lady beetles and lacewings eat aphids but not fast enough! What plants repel aphids?

1. Aphids are called ant cows because ants herd them like cows. The ant eaten by the Aborigines is the honeypot ant.

The Aborigines would scrape the surface of the ground to find the openings of the vertical tunnels of an ant nest and would dig down to where the honeypot ants were located, perhaps as much as two meters below ground. Honeypot ants are also found in some parts of the U.S

2. Garlic, Chives, Anise, Coriander, Nasturtiums and Petunias will repel Aphids. Mint may discourage ants as these insects will ‘farm’ aphids and protect them from predators.

Lady Bugs or Beetles (such as Hippodamia convergens and Harmonia axyridis) and their larvae will eat aphids, as many as 2400 in their lifespan. Green Lacewings devour up to 100 per day. However, aphids multiply very rapidly and the beetles and lacewings cannot eat them fast enough for this to always be a reliable method of control once an aphid infestation has become serious.