Have you noticed ants on your trees? Is this a good sign?

It’s not uncommon to find ants lurking around the trees in the yard. Most of the times, the ants don’t cause any problems on the tree. In fact, some of them will even help with tree care. However, you may need to call in a Toronto arborist who will determine if the ants are out to hurt your trees.

Why are ants drawn to trees?

There are many reasons that could make your trees so attractive to ants.
Sometimes the ants come looking for honeydew that’s left by other insects lurking on the tree. In other cases, the ants have found cavities and rotten wood where they can set base.
Actually, in most cases, the ants are not responsible for any damage to the tree. They only convey the message that something could be wrong so that you can act fast and treat the tree.

When can ants cause harm?

There are two types of ants that can hurt your trees:

Carpenter ants

Carpenter ants which are black ants that burrow on rotten tree wood. You will notice that the tree has some sawdust, especially on the base. Call a tree expert to remove this tree because it’s likely to be weak and could fall at any given point.

Red imported fire ants

Red imported fire ants are also very popular on young trees. These ants can cause blisters when they attack people and pets so they really need to be eradicated from your property. They are dark and maroon in color. A tree expert can apply insecticide to get rid of these ants.

There are also other ways to get rid of ants on your trees such as spraying with peppermint oil and water or lining the bottom of the tree with ant bait.