Aphid Farming Ants and a Ferocious Ladybug

For some reason there are a million ants in my backyard this summer and they are the aphid farming kind... they protect their aphid colonies ferociously since the aphids provide them with lots of food. Ladybugs are usually really good about eating aphids but these ants will kill the ladybugs if they get too close. The one in the video has a big hole in its shell after the ants attacked it, but I think it's getting even! I took one of the infested cherry tree stems off and put the ladybug on it... it was a feeding frenzy!

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• aphids
• insect carnage
• ants
• ladybug
• cherry tree
• summer
• ladybug eating aphids

[Blakmagik]

your choice in music was awesome!!

[gardneross]

@Blakmagik Glad you liked it, I got a kick out of it!

[darkwizardn1]

Gah, I have a million little spiders crawling around my basement.. and I SLEEP down there. I read that ladybugs would EAT the little demons, do you think so?

[gardneross]

@darkwizardn1 I don't know, they are definitely quite the hunters but I think they prefer smaller prey? Good luck in the basement!

[I88z88]

hahaha, nice video dude^^

and the music is really unexpectedly nice :p

[gardneross]

Glad you liked it... they were really neat to watch. Can't wait for summer!

[XiaoPangDudu]

farmers gonna farm

ladybugs gonna get their elytra chewed up

good video

[iamryanthompson]

The ants eat something called "honeydew", which is essential aphid poop that is high in sugar content.

[Lenfal]

Are aphids blind or something? Because they don't seem to be bothered by the lady bug eating their brothers.

[InfamousWolf1]

lol "I will, I will, om nom nom you!!!"

[RytisB]

loved your video, great combo with the music. You need more lady bugs!

[Mocknbird2]

@veichelberger Aphids have absolutely no way to kill anything (except maybe in huge numbers they can damage leaves and small plants). They only have a little siphon that they stick into a plant to drink the juices. They don't even suck the juice. They rely on the plants own pressure to get the juice in their bodies. They are totally non violent. They are only a threat to plants in that they can transmit viruses, and overwhelm small plants or deform leaves.

[napoleonbonerpart]

This is great! you could make a video game out of this.

[realisticHomeboy]

It's a feast.

[veichelberger]

why dont aphid protect themselfs there is like alot of them they can kill the lady bud maybe not the ants though

[AlxMar5]

@darkwizardn1 I don't have the answer to that but I'd say that having spiders (especially where you sleep) is FAR more beneficial than having whatever it is they feed on, which may be bugs that go after humans. I know many people dislike spiders but you may want to keep that in mind :)