Ants are actually extremely beneficial in the garden. They keep the soil loose, keep pests at bay and tidy up. However, if there are hundreds of arthropods in a tree, then you should look for the cause of this behavior.
How to protect trees from ants?
To protect trees from ants, you should fight aphids if there is an ant infestation and drive away ants with nettle manure. Loosening the soil helps with root nests, and glue rings can deter ants from climbing.
Ants on the tree indicate pest infestation
Ants have no interest in the tree itself, even if they sometimes take a fallen leaf as food or nibble on sweet fruits. Instead, the animals have discovered aphids, which they literally keep in colonies and milk their sweet excretions – 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 well-being of the aphids. These are protected from predators and can then reproduce even better - which in turn is actually harmful to the tree.
Fight aphids – drive away ants
Now it is quite easy to get rid of both the aphids and the ants from the tree. You don't even need chemical agents; instead, you just need to top the affected tree regularly and every few days with home-made nettle manure. This not only drives away unwanted visitors, but also serves as fertilizer for the tree. You can make nettle manure as follows:
- Cut about a kilogram of fresh nettles.
- Roughly chop them.
- Pour cold water over them, about 10 liters per kilogram.
- Place the container in a cool and dark place.
- Let the manure sit there for at least a week.
- Stir daily.
- The brew is ready when it stinks.
Incidentally, it helps to combat the unpleasant smell by stirring in some rock dust. The broth is only used diluted in a ratio of 1 part manure - 10 parts water.
What else you can do against the ant plague - and when it is necessary
Sometimes the numerous ants are not aphids, but other causes. The animals also like to settle in dead or diseased parts of the tree - for example because a tree fungus causes the tissue there to die. You can keep the animals from visiting the tree with cuffs (€15.00 on Amazon) and glue rings that are attached around the trunk.
Tip
If ants build their nest in the roots of the tree, this can have dire consequences, depending on the size of the state. Although the animals do not eat the tree, they do loosen the soil - which can cause it to lose its grip, especially in very young trees.
