Late blooming peonies sans ants

Well, finally, the peonies are coming into their own, and with a different twist this year -- no ants. Plenty of bumble bees, naturally, but no ants. The nectar of the buds has always been a draw for large black ants, giving rise to the old wives tale that the buds need the ants to bloom. Not so. The ants just love sweets. But this year, not so much.