Ants in Maple tree
Bill Morgan
In article <5tshk7$mol$1...@gazette.corp.medtronic.com>, Mike Hess
<mike...@medtronic.com> wrote:
> I have a 40 foot Silver Maple on my front yard. Not the best
> tree in the world but essential to keep my house
> shaded. A few weeks ago I discovered black ants living in the
> first large "V" where the trunk makes a major split, about 6
> feet up the trunk. They don't look like carpenter ants, I would
> call them "picnic ants" - big and black.
Those *are* carpenter ants.
>They killed another tree
> a few years ago in our side yard by nesting in the main trunk.
They actually don't kill the tree, but are associated with the wood rot
which does. At worst, they accelerate the damage, but do not change the outcome.
>
> I hosed these guys out of the "V" to get a better look
> and water came spurting out two holes, on on either side of the
> tree, about 2 feet further down.(It looked like when, on Tom and
> Jerry, Tom gets shot and then drinks a glass of water and it comes
> out all the holes. But I digress).
The damage is already widespread. At this point, there may be no hope for
the tree. If there is, it probably lies in major surgery, which tends to be
stop-gap anyway. What is sometimes done is that the hole is opened, the
rotten wood (and the ants) removed, a fungicide applied and hope for the
best. Sometimes concrete is filled in as well: I don't know if that is any
good or not.
Usually, the two arms of the V will be "bolted" together with one or more
steel bars. That reinforces things a bit.
All that may buy you a few more years. In the meantime, plant a sizeable
replacement ASAP. Something fast growing, perhaps.
The basic problem is the V itself: this results in a weak spot which
cracks, lets rot in and...you know the rest. Once the rot is big, the ants
come in. If the ants don't come in, sometimes the first indication is just
that the tree breaks in a windstorm, and there it is, all rotted out. This
usually happens 1) because a tree is isolated and tends to spread out and
2) it was not pruned away from the bad growth form early on. That's
probably not your doing, but it is a good thing to remember when working
with smaller trees: keep them pruned to a growth form appropriate to their
species.
> Anyway, I sprayed Raid in the
> V, and then trickled water into the V to wash the Raid down into the
> nest (I stopped when I saw Raid coming out the holes, it's a white
> foamy stuff).
Useless.
And all the water you've put in is hurting, rather than helping.
>
> now they ants are visible again. IS there any technique you would
> suggest? Obviously I don't want to kill the tree, that is paramount, but
> what is the best method and/or product to use on these guys? Should I
> try to seal their holes up? I'm not sure what to do next besides
> keep repeating my poison flush.
This is probably beyond the average homeowner. The ants are not the root
problem; killing them will not save your tree.
I suggest you consult an arborist/tree surgeon. PDQ.
Good luck.
Regards,
Bill
--
Bill Morgan
wtmo...@pilot.msu.edu
Center for Room Temperature Confusion