Ants on trees: How to solve an age-old problem

Have you noticed ants crawling on your trees ? Probably yes, but you did not think much of it, and you are basically right. Ants do not really harm your trees, but they can bring aphids with them and aphids can harm your trees or shrubs. And once your tree gets infected with something, especially aphids, then you have a problem. Aphids are incredibly insatiable and can devour all leaves very quickly. Leaves will gradually shrink, crumble and your tree will suffer. That is why it is a good idea to get rid of ants. How? Well the answer is in this article.

Photo: Radek Štěpán

Ant repellents

There are many different products on the market that guarantee to help you get rid of ants. The reality is, however, that you do not want to put ant traps around your garden or keep spraying their paths over and over again. And do not try to approach this issue in a pure ecological way. In fact, you have no choice but to use chemicals. But be careful. Chemicals could potentially harm children playing in your garden.

Forget about special adhesive tapes. Glue is the way to go

The best way is to prevent ants from entering the tree crown. They are many adhesive tapes promising an easy solution. You can glue them directly to the trunk. But they are only for young trees with a smooth bark so you should avoid adhesive tapes. They will peel off after rain and become practically useless. A much more effective method is to use a special tree glue. Use spatula to apply it. It is very effective as it creates a virtually impermeable layer. Ants and insects will get literally glued to it and the glue will last for a season at least. Check our video where we show you how to apply the glue.

Video: Youtube Radek Štěpán

You might also face aphids

Getting rid of ants is one thing but geting rid of aphids is quite another. If ants already managed to bring aphids to the crown, you will need a special spray against aphids. You may try to dissolve tobacco in water and spray the affected areas with this mixture. This homemade aphid spray should work but there are plenty sprays on the market that you may try. We shall try some of them and publish the results in another article.

Photo: Radek Štěpán