Ants in pear

[IHM13]

Hello, I have a question
I have a pear in my backyard and it has had ants for many years. They live inside it and all was good for many years. But now a huge branch of the tree fell of beacuse it was hollowed by the ants. We are now trying to get rid od them to save the rest of the pear. My guess is they are living in symbiosis because they dont eat the pear and get rid of other insects. They probably overpopulated and built too big a nest.
Do you have idea if ants and pears do that and do you have any advice.
Cheers

 

[Tetters]

Welcome to the forum @IHM13 It is possible that the ants began to live there because they were farming aphids in the tree. I think that rather than trying to do something now with an established nest, you would do best to just leave them alone, and plant a new pear tree somewhere else. Maybe this is a very old tree that was ready to give up anyway, and maybe the ants did not actually cause the problems ?

 

[lifegardener]

Hello, I have a question
I have a pear in my backyard and it has had ants for many years. They live inside it and all was good for many years. But now a huge branch of the tree fell of beacuse it was hollowed by the ants. We are now trying to get rid od them to save the rest of the pear. My guess is they are living in symbiosis because they dont eat the pear and get rid of other insects. They probably overpopulated and built too big a nest.
Do you have idea if ants and pears do that and do you have any advice.
Cheers

Have you tried using diatomaceous earth at the base of the tree? From time to time, the ants will leave the tree. The diatomaceous earth will wear down their exoskeleton, and they will eventually die. Left as is, the ants will continue to hollow out limbs, and your tree will likely be killed.

 

[Tetters]

Have you tried using diatomaceous earth at the base of the tree? From time to time, the ants will leave the tree. The diatomaceous earth will wear down their exoskeleton, and they will eventually die. Left as is, the ants will continue to hollow out limbs, and your tree will likely be killed.

Do you mean the carpenter ants lifegardener? If it is, they usually attack trees that are already on their last legs (so to speak) and they attack dead or rotting wood. If that is the case, maybe they are just doing a good job of cleaning up, and surely don't need to die?

 

[lifegardener]

Do you mean the carpenter ants lifegardener? If it is, they usually attack trees that are already on their last legs (so to speak) and they attack dead or rotting wood. If that is the case, maybe they are just doing a good job of cleaning up, and surely don't need to die?

I agree. However, the tree is the priority.

Here's another alternative:
Spray the tree with a solution containing about 30 drops of peppermint oil and 1 gallon of water. Ants are repelled by peppermint, so once they catch wind of the scent, they'll soon vacate the tree.