I bought a blackberry plant about 1 1/2 yrs ago. This year it is taking off and doing amazing. It has tripled in size and we have three times the berries that we had last year. I am so excited! This year I am noticing two things 1. Ants are all over it. I am assuming this is a problem that I need to handle. What do you do for your blackberries? 2. There are several new shoots? These new growths are growing like weeds, I am concerned that's exactly what they are. The leaves are similar to the original plant but they are three times the size. No flowering on the "new shoots" yet. How can I be sure of what they are?