AusBonsai

Hi Guys,
Worked on a tree over the weekend and discovered an ant infestation. Hundreds of ants coming out of the soil and trailing up the trunk. Seems as though they have set up camp somewhere in the middle of the rootball.

What are the possible implications of an infestation such as this and how do I go about treating it?

Im not sure about damage to the roots by the ants apart from air pockets, however what i have done in the past is to submerge the pot it water for up to 30mins to drown them. No more ants!

You're talking to a 'kill ant' expert. Anyone who buys from Riverview needs a good ant eradication plan!!!

I use a product from Bunnings called FIX ANT. About $7, does not bother the plant and the ants disappear like money on pay day. The important ingredient [I think that's properly called 'active constituent] is CHLORPHYRIFOS [an anticholinesterase compound]. I have seen another product with this 'constituent' [sounds like it's going to vote!] so Fix Ant is not the only option.

You dust it on the plant or soil, depending on where the infestation is, go in for a glass of wine [or champagne if it is earlier than 5pm] and it doesn't take long to do the trick. If the ants are in the soil I dust it on lightly and water it in.

I have used this on several plants with well established colonies of ants in the trunk and on plants with ants in the soil. I have most recently used in on a melaleuca that had too many ants crawling on the branches with no visible reason. I just dusted the branches and POOF... gone.

I will always keep a container of this product in my cupboard and highly recommend its effectiveness.. and never a dead or traumatised tree.

And when I say 'Poof - Gone'. I am not talking about instantaneous... do it and hours later there are no ants.

Trust me... with a heavy infestation... 30 minutes soaking has never done the job for me. And if you have a large tree soaking can be hard. This product is not dear and is totally effective.

You may also want to check for other insects higher up the tree (e.g. aphids) which may be secreting a honey like substance which the ants eat. If there are get rid of them as the ants will keep coming back for the free feed.

Yes, I did see other insects on the tree at the same time. They are a crawling bug, woody in colour and when I squash them they are absolutely full of sticky juice...I'm imagining they have a belly full of sap!

I will try all of the above in succession tomorrow and post my results.

Thanks guys