Have ants killed my tree
drdublin
16 years ago
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katrina1
16 years agospruceman
16 years agoRelated Discussions
ants , ants are killing my plants!
Comments (8)Just wanted to add some more thoughts on D.E. as to why it is so useful for the above purpose as well as many others. Insects don't have the ability to clot (unlike humans)their internal fluid (blood) there for if they get pricked they will literally bleed to death no matter how small the cuts are. D.E. can even be applied in a sprayer (with a small squirt of dishsoap to help stick it to plants or other surfaces) if kept agitated so as not to clog the nozzle. Then when it dries it will be reactivated. It will wash off so will need to be reapplied if rain or over head watering is used. The one thing I always remind folks about DE is that it is a dust and needs to be handled carefully so as not to breathe it into your lungs. (not a good thing). Use a standard dust mask if air borne dust is a possibility. Not trying to horn in Al, just offer more info on the subject.:) Happy Growing David...See MoreHelp - I think I may have killed my boss's Money Tree
Comments (15)Hey, Billy Rae! Go for it! You have nothing to fear! My only advice, up front, is this: Don't buy a braided group of plants. In my opinion, the braided plants are doomed to failure. Now, onto the story of how I came by my Pachira: My brother has a Pachira that used to be braided...slowly, all but one of the trunks died. The remaining trunk had been the largest/healthiest from the start, which is why I always suggest that a buyer simply purchase a full, healthy, single-trunked specimen. Anyhow, my brother is rough on plants. During one of his "moods," he broke several leaves off his Pachira...I can't remember if he bit them off, or if he was swinging his glow-sticks around the room like weapons. Long story short, he placed one of those leaves in the bottom of a plastic cup, filled with generic peat-based potting soil. The soil was constantly moist/wet because there were no drainage holes in the cup. He handed me the cup, and said here, take it. So I did. I brought the leaf from Sacramento to Auburn, where it sat from February to May on a warm Eastern window-sill. Surprisingly, it grew into a full-sized plant! Now, I summer my Pachira on the front deck (western exposure), beneath a large maple tree. One year, I put my Pachira out before the maple had leafed-out...big mistake! Nearly every Pachira leaf was sunburned white. New leaves grew when the dead leaves dropped, but now I know to wait until I can offer filtered sunlight. After a period of acclimation, Pachira can handle quite a bit of sun. Josh...See Moreleaf cutter ants killing my tamarind!
Comments (3)First, calm down!!!! You are over-reacting to a potential problem. Even if the ants eat all the leaves off of a healthy tree, it probably would not kill the tree. Only prolonged leaf removal would likely cause the tree to die. Second, as Ken stated, make sure your diagnosis is correct and that the problem is really significant enough to be a problem. Removal of a third of the leaves is probably not even worth worrying about. If leaf cutter ants are the issue AND they are removing a majority of the tree's leaves, a combination of measures might be a good idea. Diatomaceous earth (the type produced for use in gardening, not the stuff used for filters) sprinkled around the base of the tree should help and will be harmless to the tree. There are also many other recommendations available with a quick Google check. Just avoid the ones that sound stupid, like the one that came up when I just checked, that said to dig a 1' deep trench around the base of the tree and fill with soapy water (I have no idea what that idiot was thinking). Here is a link that might be useful: Example of Online Solutions...See MoreAnts in my pots. How do I kill 'em?
Comments (20)Hello Cath, Thanks..would you happen to know what ant eggs look like? Color, size? lol Well, aside from freezing, I'm okay..And you? How are you getting along? Cath, do you have Fish Emulsion on hand? I swear it kills Scale. Several years ago, the owner of Harris Citrus, Ruth and I were discussing citrus. She told me, the best way to 'prevent' and 'kill' scale was to add 1 cap of Fish Emulsion in a 16oz sprayer filled w/water. Not long after, I purchased an Olive tree, 'different online nursery.' It arrived by mail, delivered at night. I removed the tree from its box, and set in-between two citrus trees. Just so you know, I inspect plants religiously, usually while misting. For some reason I didn't get to the olive for days.. Then, while spraying, I noticed a brown bump on the olive's leaf. On closer inspection, there were a multitude of brown bumps everywhere, upper and lower leaves, stems..gross looking things..Scale. I recalled Ruth's suggestion about Fish Emulsion, made up a bottle. By the way, two neighboring citrus branches had scale up and down branches nearest the olive tree. All three plants were thoroughly sprayed. The next day, all signs of scale was gone..Every last one. I checked and rechecked all three plants. She also recommended to apply a second application a week after the first. I did as told. Cath, this happened, I believe, in 2000; never had a scale problem since. My plants are foliar sprayed w/FE twice a year. The second dose, in autumn, before plants are brought indoors. However, I must warn you, FE has a fishy smell that lingers 2-3 days. There is an odorless type, but I've never used it so don't know if it's truely odor-free. I'd rather deal with a little smell than Scale devouring my plants. lol. FE is organic, so it won't burn leaves..It's actually a fertilizer, but since organic, it doesn't burn roots either. Since I don't fertilize during winter months, I figure spraying in autumn is plants last meal of the year, and a scale preventative. If you dare, lol, try the FE. It can't hurt, right? I too can think of plenty adjectives regarding our weather but would get the boot from GW. lol.. Good luck..hope you rid those suckers..Toni...See Moresmallmouth1
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