Fire ants - friend or foe?

[m5allen]

I have fig hedge row and I noticed there are a few trees that are just not doing well (Celeste and LSU Purple). All of these figs in the hedge row have about a foot of mulch at the base - the mulch runs the whole length of the hedge row. The mulch is tree chippings mostly from cut down oak trees. I raked away the much to get down to some of the surface roots to see if I could see some nematode galls or something like that. Instead, I found nests of fire ants on both trees, so I could not do much root exploring.

I have heard fire ants eat root knot nematodes, which would be good. But is it a coincidence that both trees are just not thriving and they both have a fire ant infestation? Most of my other fig trees are doing really well.

[cjmach1973]

Fire ants, and by the way many ants, can become a problem with plants. They feed off the honeydew produced by both aphids and mealy bugs. In return, they protect the sucking insects from other predators that would normally kill them. There are underground versions of both aphids and mealy bugs, and some types of ants are know to move some of them to new plants to attack, as there colony expands. So fire ants-bad. I believe I have also heard that soft brown scale insects also produce honeydew to get protection from the ants. The scale can also be located on roots or exposed plant areas.

[Inkfin]

I use Spinosad to get rid of fireants, a quick and easy solution. FYI: Spinosad is considered as organic and safe on human and pets.

[Jkanyok]

Inkfin Do you have a favorite brand of spinosad, and where do you recommend purchasing from? I'm very familiar with its uses for pets, and i know it's also a lice treatment for children, and a pesticide for plants.... but i haven't been able to find it easily here.

[grasshopper]

Spinosad (aerosol form) is not bee friendly so I usually avoid it. Or one can use it at dusk n then follow up with watering of plants very early the next morning.

[Inkfin]

Hi JK, I know it has been a while since you posted your question but I had not been anywhere near ourfigs forums for a while and sorry about this late response. I used Conserve Conserve SC Insecticide with Spinosad Biologically Derived from Amazon (link: https://www.amazon.com/Conserve-Inse...words=spinosad). Yes, it is expensive but probably will last me for next 10 years or so, I don't know ;-) This is a concentrated form and I use 2ml mixed in 1 gallon of water and gently pour it on ant hill preferably early in the morning or late evening.

[Italianstallon99]

Cinnamon

[hstark]

Diatomaceous earth works on fire ants too.

[jmaler]

On my property fire ants are foe. I have used Amdro since it was first introduced on the market.

[Wisner]

You need to get rid of the fire ants. They are not a good thing around trees.

[DBJohnson]

I grew up around fire ants. They are pests and a menace that is dangerous to humans and livestock alike. Definitely a foe.

[m5allen]

There is no question that fire ants are a pest in general. I have young boys, so I really try hard to make sure there are no ant mounds in my yard.

What I was asking is if a fire ant colony under a layer of much at the base of a plant can cause damage to the root system such that it affects the plant's growth. Based on cjmach's response, it appears the answer is yes.

[lilfiggy]

definately foe to animals and people Amdro for me

[Wisner]

I have seen lots of young fruit trees that have died with a fire ant mound at their base. Like I said, you do not want them around your trees.

[Brandon87]

Permethrin works fast and hasn't hurt any of my trees yet. Just wait a while to eat a fig off it.

[Nick Costanza]

I just noticed I have 3 fig trees i planted last fall have fire ants building a nest at the base. Fixin to go to war against fire ants

[Brandon87]

I just noticed I have 3 fig trees i planted last fall have fire ants building a nest at the base. Fixin to go to war against fire ants

Get them before they become a bigger problem.

[CliffH]

Living where we do, fire ants are a huge problem. It is a never ending task to keep them killed off. Right now, with the warmth and all the recent rains, our yard is covered in new hills. I plan to spend time tomorrow treating each one. We use a number of treatments, but we have used Amdro for about 20 years with very good success.

For the trees, some ants are okay. But as the colony grows, and fire ant underground colonies can be huge, the ants will undermine the tree and damage the roots. I had peach tree get undermined by ants. During the next heavy rain the whole tree dropped down into the ground several inches.

[grasshopper]

I agree with everyone take care of the ants. But that may not fix the trees problem. Mulch retains moisture and perhaps too much in rainy season or areas. Moisture is typically what attracts ants among other things like honey dews from aphids.

I would remove or reduce the mulch to let the roots breathe.

[GButera]

Years ago I had 2 fig trees mulched up high with
wood chips . For 3-4 years they seemed to be stunted
and attracted ants at the base. Those trees were pushed off to the side with a pile of top soil (by skid steer to make room for a shop)
To this day ,that lsu gold and celeste are enormous .
Dont mulch your trees high wood chips.In the forrest,
trees grow fine without it.

[backyardfigs]

fight them or do like lsu and clean a circle around them?

[Dig]

I have never seen plant damage as a direct result of fire ants. I even see healthy, very green plants growing just on the edge of the mound. That being said they are on the same value scale to me as bedbugs or fleas. Evil little buggers.

re aphids I think the fire ants would eat them, not milk them.

[Wisner]

Fire ants build their nest on the highest ground they can get to. They don't need to build in mulch, just a place that does not flood when it rains.

[backyardfigs]

I've been fighting moles everywhere around trees last summer but not under the trees that I can tell. In fact I thought the ants maybe deterring them.