ants nest in lemon tree container

[SmittenGarden]

We bought my husband a meyers improved lemon tree last year. but it needs repotting. its actually shameful of how we haven't looked after it.

while i was just looking at my zucchinis and toms and giving them water...I noticed a lot of ant activity on the patio. But as its on the edge of the garden I assumed that they were in the grass somewhere.

then I went to give the trees pot a little misting. It was then I noticed that around the drain holes of the pot were clay like dirt piled out in what look like play doh spaghetti forms. Its looking like they have nested inside the pot under the tree.


what should I do? its already trying to form fruit. I've read online I may have been under watering it? but I thought you could easily over water fruit trees.
what is the right amount of watering?

[Deborah]

I would pot up, but before that hose away as many ants as you can.
I'd buy cactus mix for soil.
Meyers I water like anything else-stick a finger down and feel for dryness, and flood until the water runs out.
Feed with citrus food. Lemons are heavy feeders.
When you repot you'll smother the ants. And drown them when you water in the newly planted tree.
Ants can't harm the tree at all but I'd get rid of as many as I could. If you don't have pets nearby you could put out ant baits near the pot.
If anyone has any other ideas I'd welcome them-I love my tree and always glad to learn. Won't get offended if corrected either !

[Rockporter]

I use food grade DE powder in my pots and around them, ants can't stand the stuff.

[KarenO]

Ants don't generally harm or eat plants so I would first check to see what attracts the ants to your lemon. I had ants in an indoor grapefruit tree that I used to put outside for summer and bring in in the fall. I thought it was so odd that they had moved in until on closer inspection, I discovered that the ants were there because of the honeydew produced by a bad scale infestation on my little tree. Ants are easy to get rid of with a product called "ant be gone" scale insects are a real difficult critter to get rid of. I never did get the plant cleaned up and wound up getting rid of it. aphids also produce honeydew which attracts ants. If I was you I would have a look at the lemon tree first because there must be a reason the ants decided to set up housekeeping in your pot.
KO

[Worth1]

Did you know a Meyer lemon isn't a true lemon?
It came from China in 1908 discovered by Frank Meyer and is thought to be a cross between a lemon and mandarin or common orange.

Just so as you know.

Worth

[Crandrew]

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1368671913.644337.jpg

[Deborah]

All great posts.

[SIP Gro-Tubs]

Originally Posted by SmittenGarden

We bought my husband a meyers improved lemon tree last year. but it needs repotting. its actually shameful of how we haven't looked after it.

while i was just looking at my zucchinis and toms and giving them water...I noticed a lot of ant activity on the patio. But as its on the edge of the garden I assumed that they were in the grass somewhere.

then I went to give the trees pot a little misting. It was then I noticed that around the drain holes of the pot were clay like dirt piled out in what look like play doh spaghetti forms. Its looking like they have nested inside the pot under the tree.


what should I do? its already trying to form fruit. I've read online I may have been under watering it? but I thought you could easily over water fruit trees.
what is the right amount of watering?

Most ants feed at night, but there are some that feed during the day, but not in great numbers.

Ants are like dairy farmers, the actually place the aphids, and orther sucking insects on the bottom of succulent leaves just like a dairyman will put cows in the best fields for the day. They then milk the aphids for the honeydew secreted by the aphids for the ants food source just like a dairyman does when he milks his cows.

But most times you don't see the ants because they do this most during the night time.

Look for aphids and other sucking insects during the day.

Easy way to kill them is to bury a small container level with the soil level, fill with a honey surgary mixture and water, add a few drops of liquid soap, they will smell the sweetness and try to drink falling in and drowing.

Also with boric acid, find were they are coming out at night, place some tin foil over the hole, punch a new hole thru to their hole, add the boric acid on the tin foil, they will do the rest when they walk thru it.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Crandrew

Attachment 33547

A sago palm isn't a palm either. It is a Cycad one of the oldest know plants.
The red yucca isn't a yucca it is an agave.
Just so as you know.

Worth

[Crandrew]

Ok now you're just showing off.

[coronabarb]

Worth, you are just a wealth of information. : Maybe you don't know this one;

The main ants we see in California are Argentina ants and are all genetically related, which is why they don't fight ants from different nests...they all smell like relatives.

Many areas, including the inland area (Riverside/San Bernadino) have SO many of these ants...antsylvania! They are everywhere on my property. It is very difficult to keep them out of potted plants...they love it in there. I get them burrowing down along tomato stems/roots too. If there are enough of them, they can kill the plant. It is frustrating if you want to be organic or have other animals around, so can't use poisons. I'd try the DE first. I tried that boric acid mixed with sugar and the ants didn't go for it.

[Dewayne mater]

Karen - Ants don't seem to be messing with my tomatoes, but, they have eating 1/2 of a bell pepper and a couple of jalapeno peppers still growing on the vine. They are now dead to me and I am going to find a way to make them actually dead. Between eating fruit and harboring aphids, they are public enemy number 3 for me, though I've never given them a thought in past years.

Dewayne mater.

[kurt]

Put some Amdro down.Finer crushed particle for the small wee ants,regular for the larger "bull" ants.If they stop and take the crumbs then your good to go.The ants carry the Amdro to the colony and they all die.Mainly the queen/queens.

[coronabarb]

kurt, what is Amdro?

[Stvrob]

I found a new kind of ant carefully slicing up a cherished grape vine and hauling little pieces of leaves about 8 feet away to their nest. They appear to be what is known as "cut ants", and an unwelcome import. I poured a kettle of boiling water down its hole and so far they seem to be gone. Hopefully I killed the colony and I won't be seeing them anymore.