Are ants bad for my flowers? If so how to get rid of them? I also am finding holes in my flowers? How do I prevent pests?

Question

I have a raised, homemade planter box on my concrete patio. 3 days ago I put some flowers I bought from a nursery in and have found black ants climbing on the top of the box and around the flowers.

Are they bad for my flowers? I have Zinnias, Petunias, and Marigolds. I know they can aerate the soil, but will they go eating leaves and such?

I found one of my new petunias has a bunch of small holes in it. Could this be caused by the ants or by another pest/insect?

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Answer 1

Finding ants on your plants can mean you have an infestation of another type of pest. The pest residue, called honeydew, will attract ants.
Treat the plants with Neem Oil.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/pesticides/neem-oil-uses.htm