Although tree ants typically do not hurt people, they can be exceedingly unpleasant and occasionally even deadly. For this reason, trees you are growing on should regularly be sprayed with insecticide to protect them from tree ants.
Tree ant infestation is unsightly, uncomfortable, and potentially harmful. It makes your yard look like a battlefield as you scurry around, swatting away some ants to prevent it from inflicting needle-like stings.
If you’re unsure how to get rid of these tiny rebels, we’ll show you some measures to free a tree from an ant infestation. But, first, let us learn how to recognise the early signs of ant infestation in our trees.
Early Signs of Tree Ant Infestation
The ant is one of the most pervasive and destructive insects in our homes. In the same way that we get rid of ants infesting our homes, we should do the same for our trees. Ants pose a wide range of potential risks if they aren’t kept in check.
We frequently miss or recognise the warning signs, leading to significant problems later. You should watch out for the following signs to prevent future tree ant infestations.
Visible worker ants around the tree’s base
One of the easiest and most evident signs of an ant infestation in our trees or plants is the presence of ants near the base of the tree. Ants may have built a colony near the base of your tree if you see them foraging freely for food in your garden.
Visible mounds or large groups of ants
In most cases, you’ll notice mounds and large groups of ants huddling together. Even noticing a colony of ants should prompt you to take the required precautions to get rid of this tiny band of opportunists.
The tree has holes
Most likely, ants dig into trees to make their nests. Also, digging holes suggests they are foraging for nectar inside rather than just using the tree as a home.
Trail of ants
If you see ant trails or marching in, there is already a possibility of infestation. This implies that they have invaded your tree, any surrounding structure, or a suitable hiding place.
How to Handle Ant Infestation on Trees
Despite not causing damage, ants can prevent the tree from regaining its full strength. Considering how damaging ants can be and their ability to spread disease, it is important to take immediate action to prevent serious problems.
We’ll show you effective measures to stop ants from invading and infesting your trees and garden.
- Locate the nest
Finding the nest is the first thing to eliminate the ants. But it’s also important to repair the damaged wood and moisture to avoid structural issues and other ant infestations.
- Spray ant powder
The best technique to deal with tree overrun ants is to spray ant powder around the tree’s base. This doesn’t need to exert work to apply and is excellent at eradicating the ants when they leave the tree to gather food.
- Spray liquid insecticides
Use your trusted insecticides to infiltrate the nest. While the ants leave their protected habitat, spray them with liquid insecticide.
- Stop the ants from continuing their activity
Once you’re done infiltrating the nest, prevent foraging ants from continuing their activity. Simply apply the pesticide to their trails to accomplish this. To completely eliminate them, you might have to repeat this process every year or as necessary.
- Keep your yard clean
Maintaining your yard clean, weed-free, and tidy will allow you to spot ant mounds and ant colonies inside your trees. This enables you to deal with them more quickly.
Also, routine lawn upkeep will keep ants from invading your yard and spiders and other insects.
Doing the following measures above gives you two options such as:
1. Do-It-Yourself
It’s fairly simple to remove or eradicate ants from your tree. Some homeowners prefer to deal with ant removal on their own and do the following:
- Purchase the necessary supplies
- Rent equipment like sprayers
- Schedule aside time to carry out the trapping and spraying
Unfortunately, we often fail to see that it veers you away from your priorities. It is also far more expensive to gather the tools to eradicate ants. If it’s your first time, there is probably the potential for error, costing you time and money. Other than that, a typical individual can’t assess the severity of the infestation in any other way.
If an infestation has seriously damaged the health of your trees, you will require additional tools to remove it. Before cutting them down, you must determine whether they are worth saving or if they pose a danger to people and the nearby structure.
Therefore, the second and best choice is to hire a Sydney tree removal professional to complete the task perfectly and successfully.
2. Hire an Expert Tree Removalist
Delegating the tedious and tiring process of eradicating ants from your trees and yard is beneficial. Your friendly neighbourhood tree specialists are trained to identify and eradicate tree ants, black spots, and even the terrible emerald ash borer.
In addition, professionals can identify any underlying problems, such as weakening a tree’s structure and necessitating removal. Not only will we make the job faster, but you’re also guaranteed safe and effective elimination of ants from your trees and yard.
The next time you stroll around your yard, you won’t have to bother shooing ants away. So entrust the eradication of tree ants to the professionals today!
