Ants are actually very useful insects in the garden. They keep the soil loose, keep pests at bay and clean up. However, if hundreds of arthropods are cavorting in a tree, then you should look around for the cause of this behavior.

Ants on the tree often indicate an aphid infestation

Ants on the tree indicate pest infestation

Ants are not interested in the tree itself, although they sometimes take a fallen leaf with them as food or nibble on sweet fruit. Instead, the animals have discovered aphids, which they literally keep in colonies and milk their sweet excrement - the so-called "honeydew". This in turn represents a valuable source of carbohydrates for ants, which is why the animals are very concerned about the protection and welfare of the aphids. These are protected from predators and can then multiply all the better - which in turn is actually harmful to the tree.

Fight aphids - drive away ants

Now it is quite easy to expel both the aphids and the ants from the tree. This does not even require chemical agents, instead you only need to sharpen the affected tree regularly and at intervals of a few days with nettle manure that you have prepared yourself. This not only drives away unwanted visitors, but also serves as fertilizer for the tree. Make nettle manure as follows:

  • Cut about a kilogram of fresh nettles.
  • Roughly chop them up.
  • Pour cold water over them, about 10 liters per kilogram.
  • Put the container in a cool and dark place.
  • Leave the liquid manure there for at least a week.
  • Stir daily.
  • The brew is ready when it stinks.

Incidentally, stirring in some rock flour (14.13€) helps against the unpleasant smell. The broth is only used diluted in the ratio 1 part liquid manure - 10 parts water.

What else you can do against the ant plague - and when it is necessary

Sometimes, however, the numerous ants are not caused by aphids, but by other causes. The animals also like to set themselves up in dead or diseased parts of the tree - for example because a tree fungus causes the tissue there to die off. With cuffs and glue rings that are attached around the trunk, you can deter the animals from visiting the tree.

tips

If ants build their nest in the roots of the tree, this can have dire consequences, depending on the size of the colony. Although the animals do not eat the tree, they loosen the soil - which can cause the tree to lose its footing, especially with very young trees.

Category:

Trees