Ants don't generally eat plants, at least the one's around here, so they may be doing no harm, and in fact may be eating bugs that are harmful to your plants.
Ants don't generally eat plants, at least the one's around here, so they may be doing no harm, and in fact may be eating bugs that are harmful to your plants.
Several ant species herd aphids in much the same way as humans herd cattle and take there milk. Instead of milk, however, aphids excrete a sugary honeydew that the ants devour. Aphids eat the plants. You don't want ants on your plants herding aphids.
Get Terro baits and use those. It's a borax+sugar solution, you'll be keeping it off your plants and the ants will like it better. I've never observed beneficial ant activity in my garden, it's always caused problems if it gets out of hand.