The "Are Ants Harmful To The Garden?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading an article in my LNP that was titled "Are Ants Harmful To The Garden? Usually Not!"  A sub-head continued with..."But they sometimes harm aphids and protect pests from predators, which can imperil the plant."  The story was written by Associated Press writer Jessica Damiano.  She began by writing...I replanted some of my containers last week, swapping out dead pansies for petunias, which will better withstand the heat as summer progresses.  As I  removed the spent plants from their pots, a swarm of ants immediately covered my bare arms.  Seems that wasn't the first time that she disturbed an ant's nest in her garden. But, each time she disturbed the ants, they immediately covered her bare arms!  I guess if I were an ant...I would do the same think, also.  Well, when she did disturb the ants, each encounter ended with her racing into the house, removing her clothes as quickly as possible, placing then directly in the washing machine and hoping in the shower.  It is not pleasant to stumble upon a colony of ants, but are the tiny little insects actually harmful to our plants?  Myths abound as to that particular question.  I've heard gardeners attest that peonies won't bloom without ants.  That is simply not true!  In reality, ants and peonies share a mutually beneficial relationship: Peony buds exude a nectar that attracts and feeds the ants, who in return protect the plant from insect pests.  Now...this doesn't refer to carpenter ants, fire ants or leafcutter ants which can pose serious threats to structures, people, and plants.  If you would notice leaves on a plant turning black and, upon inspection, find an army of ants on its stems and foliage, it's not the ants that are damaging the plant.  They're innocent bystanders whose presence indicates that the plant is infested with aphids, the real threats in this scenario.  After they suck the sap from the plant, aphids excrete a sweet, sticky substance called honeydew, on which black, sooty mold tends to grow.  The ants are attracted to the honeydew and eat it without harming the plant.  The common yellow ant actually "corral" aphids to a plant's root zone to protect the aphids from natural predators like ladybugs.  That ensures the survival of the ants' literal sugar daddies, who provide a continuous supply of food but can imperil plant roots.  Ants dabble in pollination, break down organic matter, eat the eggs of some harmful pests, and are a food source for birds, frogs and insects higher up the food chain.  They also tunnel through the soil, creating air pockets that deliver oxygen to plant roots and improve drainage.  That tunneling also moves seeds through the soil, which is necessary for the propagation of self-sowing plants, including wildflowers.  Ants are like a sanitation crew.  When there's a dead bird or mouse, they are among the first to reach the carcass, competing for resources with the filth flies, and that reduces the number of flies that carry disease and visit your potato salad.  If you would happen to spot both aphids and ants on a plant, it's probably best to wash them off with a stream of hose water.  That way you will be sure that the plants will survive.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.