Last year my seedling A. tuberosas were covered, this year, like you, none. We have had an unusually wet spring and summer here - wonder if that has anything to do with it. BTW, the "mother plant" of the seedlings was pretty much free of them last year - only the young seedlings were affected.

Thanks for sharing your observations. Interesting. Also in a 6a, but in contrast it has been a relatively dry summer here.

(Having neglected to knock on wood after first posting, fully expect to see some on my plants soon.)

I'm in Indiana and I have as many as usual. Watching the ants interact with them is fascinating. I always leave them be.

Yes, I noticed only a smattering. Same thing with the Milkweed bugs. My milkweed begins coming up in April so this year has been a treat as far as fighting the insects. In past years, it was a daily chore to clean them off of the plants. We had an exceptionally cold winter. I wonder if that had anything to do with it.

Mary

i was inundated w/ the little buggers. i tried mushing them, but then read a post about the beneficials who depend on them and keep them under control. so i pulled off my latex gloves and watched.... and waited... and lo and behold the syrphid flies did their thing, the ladybug nymphs did their thing, and the little wasps did their part as well. it was amazing to watch the boom of aphids then their almost overnight decline, then the slow build until all the predators returned and the resulting decline. amazing cycles, ebbs and flows, all the while i collected and raised over 200 eggs to adulthood :) now, the tachinid wasp 'maggots' those suckahs are a different story :(
in nw ga