Need help, is this ant infestation on a guava tree?

Want Them All · 06-28-2010, 01:04 AM

My Dad has a guava tree that has been giving fruits every year. That looks to be in jeopardy as lots of the leaves have what appear to be ants and their eggs. I'm not sure that those eggs are ant eggs or the ants are there just to eat some other bug's eggs. Please let me know what you think, and how to eliminate them. My Dad already cut off a bunch of leaves that are infected.

Thanks,

Nicolas Naranja · 06-28-2010, 08:15 AM

Ants are tending the aphids(plant lice) on your guava tree. The ants will eat the honeydew that the aphids produce and defend the aphids from predation

sunfish · 06-28-2010, 08:23 AM

Spider mite "primer"

This will work

coast crab · 06-28-2010, 04:38 PM

Nicolas is right. Not an ant infestation but an aphid infestation. Kill the aphids and the ants will go away too - or die with the aphids. No need to remove branches or leaves, it's a easy fix.

Russell

Jack Daw · 06-28-2010, 06:10 PM

Starve the ant colony as soon as possible and they will relocate. Otherwise you may start looking forward to a very long and tiresome fight. I haven't tried the above mentioned methods, but surely will. In my climate, these are the worst enemy and I haven't really found an effective way of eliminating them.

Nicolas Naranja · 06-28-2010, 07:29 PM

Because of the ants you can pretty much give up hope for regular biological controls, you can hit them with soap and if that doesn't work you can try an insecticide. Something with the active ingredient Bifenthrin would work well, If you can find the orginal Orthene with the active ingredient Acephate, it works well also. You might want to release some ladybugs if aphids are a consistent problem in your yard.

06-28-2010, 01:04 AM	#1 (permalink)
Want Them All Want Them All's Photo Gallery Location: Central California, USA Find me on the map! Zone: 9 Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 553 BananaBucks : 464,696 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3 Times Was Thanked 333 Times in 140 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Need help, is this ant infestation on a guava tree? My Dad has a guava tree that has been giving fruits every year. That looks to be in jeopardy as lots of the leaves have what appear to be ants and their eggs. I'm not sure that those eggs are ant eggs or the ants are there just to eat some other bug's eggs. Please let me know what you think, and how to eliminate them. My Dad already cut off a bunch of leaves that are infected. Thanks, __________________

06-28-2010, 08:15 AM	#2 (permalink)
Nicolas Naranja Muck bananas Nicolas Naranja 's Photo Gallery Location: Pahokee, FL Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Name: Nick Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 2,217 BananaBucks : 460,402 Feedback: 7 / 100% Said "Thanks" 66 Times Was Thanked 5,663 Times in 1,562 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 7 Times	Re: Need help, is this ant infestation on a guava tree? Ants are tending the aphids(plant lice) on your guava tree. The ants will eat the honeydew that the aphids produce and defend the aphids from predation __________________ Some people go bananas, I went plantains.

06-28-2010, 08:23 AM	#3 (permalink)
sunfish Banned sunfish's Photo Gallery Location: San Diego Find me on the map! Zone: 9-11 Name: Tony Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 18,429 BananaBucks : 946,088 Feedback: 8 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,210 Times Was Thanked 20,591 Times in 7,760 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2,716 Times	Re: Need help, is this ant infestation on a guava tree? Spider mite "primer" This will work

06-28-2010, 04:38 PM	#4 (permalink)
coast crab garden variety plant nerd coast crab's Photo Gallery Location: Lovely Mobile, Alabama - The Heart of Dixie Find me on the map! Zone: 8b Name: Russell Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 427 BananaBucks : 65,956 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 29 Times Was Thanked 418 Times in 182 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 5 Times	Re: Need help, is this ant infestation on a guava tree? Nicolas is right. Not an ant infestation but an aphid infestation. Kill the aphids and the ants will go away too - or die with the aphids. No need to remove branches or leaves, it's a easy fix. Russell __________________

06-28-2010, 06:10 PM	#5 (permalink)
Jack Daw I think with my banana ;) Jack Daw's Photo Gallery Location: BA, SK, CEU Find me on the map! Zone: Dfa (Köppen-geiger) <-> 7b/8a? (USDA) Name: Jack Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 3,525 BananaBucks : 209,131 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 2,771 Times Was Thanked 2,461 Times in 1,355 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 383 Times	Re: Need help, is this ant infestation on a guava tree? Starve the ant colony as soon as possible and they will relocate. Otherwise you may start looking forward to a very long and tiresome fight. I haven't tried the above mentioned methods, but surely will. In my climate, these are the worst enemy and I haven't really found an effective way of eliminating them. __________________ Thnx to Marcel, Ante, Dr. Chiranjit Parmar and *Francesco* for the plants I've received. Zeitgeist - Corporatocracy 101 (~2hrs) Zeitgeist - Moving Forward (~2.5hrs)

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06-28-2010, 07:29 PM	#6 (permalink)
Nicolas Naranja Muck bananas Nicolas Naranja 's Photo Gallery Location: Pahokee, FL Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Name: Nick Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 2,217 BananaBucks : 460,402 Feedback: 7 / 100% Said "Thanks" 66 Times Was Thanked 5,663 Times in 1,562 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 7 Times	Re: Need help, is this ant infestation on a guava tree? Because of the ants you can pretty much give up hope for regular biological controls, you can hit them with soap and if that doesn't work you can try an insecticide. Something with the active ingredient Bifenthrin would work well, If you can find the orginal Orthene with the active ingredient Acephate, it works well also. You might want to release some ladybugs if aphids are a consistent problem in your yard. __________________ Some people go bananas, I went plantains.

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