Q: Why are ants always on my peonies? A: They are hungry! The ants visit your peonies because the flower buds secrete a sweet substance that the ants like to eat. The good news is that the ants are not harmful to your peonies! The ants don't eat the actual plant and contrary to popular belief, the ants are not required to open the buds. A small trick if you want to cut some of your peony flowers but don't want to bring the ants into the house. Try cutting the flowers before they open and the ants get inside. Cut the flowers when the colour is showing and the bud feels like a marshmallow. At this stage it is easy to remove the ants and the buds will open nicely for you inside within a couple of days.

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