I have a longan tree (a sub-tropical fruit tree) and it starts to flower already. At the same time, I see ants crawling onto its branches. How do I get rid of ants from my fruit trees please?
How to get rid of ants?
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NigelJ
Still Learning
Are the ants actually doing any harm?
You could try putting a small container of jam or sugar water part of the way up the tree as an accessible food source for the ants. They will then go to this rather than go further up the tree looking for food.
You could try putting a small container of jam or sugar water part of the way up the tree as an accessible food source for the ants. They will then go to this rather than go further up the tree looking for food.
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No the ants won't hurt anything, they are just doing their thing, most ants are beneficial. The fire ants are a problem only when there's children and pets but they are beneficial for making tunnels underground. They keep the soil aerated and filled with microbe goodies. Don't sweat them unless they are attacking your family.
I thought ants are bad for fruit trees especially longan since it's sweet fruit. I'll leave it alone then. Thanks.
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Fire ants also are beneficial in controlling ticks but if in your vegetable garden they are not a good thing. Sure they aerate the soil but they also can cause bodily harm in some individuals. Have you ever been happily digging along in your potato patch and all of a sudden your legs are covered with them up to your kneecaps? And when you start slapping them off of yourself the leader of the ant mob says to his army, ATTACK AND STING AT WILL. This is a true story, one of many chapters of my efforts at trying to live happily alongside fireants.
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It depends on what type of ant it is. Some ants don't eat sugars. Instead they eat cellulose/dead wood but most eat sugars. To stop ants there is a product named Tanglefoot Insect Barrier. It is an extremely sticky substance that you smear around the bottom of the trunk.
These are just regular black ants.
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There are different species of black ants. But no matter what species it is the Tanglefoot will control them
I've seen some ants tending to aphids which destroy my flowers and buds if left alone, but some other ants (smaller, black) hang around the flowers with no signs of aphids or damage around, and help pollinate my peppers for me (one of each kind in my new greenhouse already, until Neem oil got rid of the aphids and the bad ants left). I agree that fire ants are likely not a good idea to keep around.