1000 David Attenboroughs – Week 14

Aphid Farming!

Did you know that ants keep aphids, a bit like humans keep cows?

They even sometimes milk them!

On the Tansy in my garden there are groups of aphids. When I look closely I can see that ants are there too. (See photo, the ant is circled.) The aphids are protected by the ants from predators such as lady birds. In return, the ants collect and eat the ‘honeydew’, which the aphids produce from eating the sugary sap of plants.

This relationship is called a symbiotic relationship, as it is beneficial to both the aphids and the ants.

https://www.thoughtco.com/aphid-herding-ants-1968237