Question

before  

after   hi!

last night all the leaves on the young cantaloupe plant disappeared.  it is tropical here, many pests and diseases, but there are definitely large ants that cut whole large pieces out of plant parts and form a line to take them away.  they usually work at night;  i have not been out to search for them.  the cantaloupe is in the ground, surrounded by mostly non-food plants in planters, and grass. at this time, none of the other plants are losing their leaves.

what should i have done to make the plant safe from the insects?

will be grateful for your ideas.     thanks, gloria

Answer
Hi
There are many things you can do or should have done

1. Variety makes a dif. Some variety will do better then others. Some won't even get a single bite. Don't buy from local nursery but order heirloom seeds.

2. If you are trying to grow in a tropical environment , you might want to consider making raised beds that you can then cover with a screen to keep insects and animals out.

3. I would also consider making a green house to grow your veggies in.

4. If you wish to rough it, you can learn the various ways that you can protect your plants from ants etc.

Here are a few
Grow garlic then make juice and spray the plants with it. Figure out how strong to make it, onions work too.
Try coffee. So if you have access to coffee beans, add 1 lb coffee beans to 10 gallons water. Spray that on your plants.
There are many herbs that work for this too.

Hope this helps