Various problems spotted today!

[ellkebe]

I was up at the allotment yesterday, and everything was fine - went up today for a few moments to keep the lettuces and spring onions I transplanted well watered and spotted 3 problems in about 5 minutes  :(  So any help much appreciated - here goes

Ants!  All over the blackberries that are setting fruit.  Are they up to something? I couldn't see any aphids, so not farming, but are they after the fruit sugar in some way? And will they damage the crop (OH has his heart set on an autumn full of apple and blackberry crumble!)

More ants!? - or squirrels?  Two of my meagre stock of sweet corn have been gnawed! Which will teach me to get a move on with the chicken wire next season!  I assumed this was due to squirrels, but when I had a closer look there were the red ants again, up and down the damaged corn, but not on the others.  Are they the culprits? Or just capitalising on damage done by something else?

Aphids! I think - some kind of red aphid like creatures all over the new leaves on my Romanesco (now all squished!).  Any idea what these are, and what to do about them (if necessary)?

Sorry it's such a catalogue of woes - I still spent a peaceful hour or so communing with nature (or communing *at* parts of it in four letter words  ;D)

[ellkebe]

[redimp]

OK - big moan zone!!

Until a couple of weeks ago I thought I had the magic touch.  Since then:

Cabbage aphids all over my cabbages (naturally)
Greenfly over everything else
Caterpillars desecrated three cabbages whilst I was not looking (ate the remnants)
Garlic all developing white rot
Suspicions of early blight on my Rockets
....

Now the gold on the end of my fingertips is looking somewhat browner.  >:(

PS trying potato haulm tea with garlic and milk mixed in - will let you know if it works on caterpillars and/or aphids.

[undercarriage plan]

Lawdy, Lawdy!! You poor things! My woe is lack of water!! As for aphids, don't think they gnaw things, they suck things!! But get rid or you'll end up with sooty mould ( and Sweep if really unlucky...!) COuld it be mice?  Lottie  ;D

[ellkebe]

Mice - hadn't thought of them  :(  Right now I'm typing while watching the hailstones tip down, and thinking it'll all be flattened come tomorrow - so what the hey!!  Too much water here  ;D