The ants are doing their best, but they're a bit outnumbered. Anyone know what these bugs might be? We'll try to get a better photo today. It's a carrot plant and the leaves are being eaten.
Aphids and their egg sacs? Or whiteflies? Hard to see from your picture. The ants tend both like herds of cattle, for the honeydew they produce. The ants aren't harming the carrots, but the others will weaken the plants by sucking them dry.
Can't tell exactly from this picture, but it seems like Aphids situation. Ants are actually farming them, so getting rid of ants would be the first step.
I like to use soapy water in a hand-pump spray. If you use it every few days, the aphids will implode. But the ants will go hungry.
Turns out these were the least of the problems. Unfortunately, we have a root aphid infestation, which has wiped the crop out, effectively. However, it is in just one planter. My daughter is awfully upset.
Any advice on protecting from and controlling root aphids (with remedies available in Switzerland)?
I understand that we need to clean the planter, and make sure the contents are disposed of with household waste and incinerated. Is this true?
That sucks!
Neem oil is effective, kind on the environment & available in Switzerland (garden centers, DIY stores etc.).
OH was a big veg gardener in Scotland. He says this is carrot fly and if you have the planters on something about a metre high the insects can't fly to that height to get to them. If the carrots are in the ground or a raised bed, erect a screen of insect free mesh around them about 75cm high. You can also try getting seeds that are carrot fly resistant.
If these are aphids, it is a bit difficult to see, don't assume that the ants are assisting you in getting rid of them: