the ants in my outdoor soil seem to stay away from the branches, they are reddish and only seem to like the ground, perhaps they are harmless, but i will use at stakes just because .i dont see any aphids either
i may be lucky, the place where i an growing has soooo many bugs but there is minimal damage, im guessing i have many predator bugs to thank. Its funny because i was so positive that with that amount of bugs, my babies would be gone for sure, but every time i look there they are, i guess nature just has a way of balancing things out, everyone is food for someone else.
Also, i am growing belladona i dont know if its just me, but bugs dont seem to fond of it, they nibble and leave havent needed to spray one if your doing outdoor BELLADONA !!! I highly recommend giving belladona a try.