Question
Lynnette,
While preparing a site for my new blushing knockout rose, I noticed THOUSANDS of brownish-black ants in the soil.  I have read that ants will kill aphids, but will the ants hurt the root system or the plant itself?  If so, how do you recommend that I get rid of them?
Thank you for your time~!
Erin (Greenville, Ohio Zone 5)

Answer
It appears you have run into an ants nest so perhaps not the ideal place for a rose. Ants don't eat roots of any plants and they don't eat aphids. When aphids eat the roses, they excrete a sticky substance and the ants collect it and take it back to their nests. Ants on any garden plant are not a pest just a nuisance. Ants can be hard to get rid of as they are stubborn and will simple rebuild in the area you have destroyed. It also depends on what kind of ants they are. The big black carpenter ants just laugh at ant poisons. An organic way is to use boiling water and Borax on them or Severin is the chemical to use.