9 responses |
About the Author Susan Eltham 19th September 2010 2:06pm #UserID: 4243 Posts: 10 View All Susan's Edible Fruit Trees |
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About the Author Wayne Mackay QLD 19th September 2010 2:27pm #UserID: 338 Posts: 908 View All Wayne's Edible Fruit Trees |
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About the Author Susan Eltham 19th September 2010 5:38pm #UserID: 4243 Posts: 10 View All Susan's Edible Fruit Trees |
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amanda says... Has anyone noticed how certain ants find spots on a branch etc - and just seem to be sucking from the tree? I have a couple of trees a certain ant does this to (and no - there is no scale or such) It's like they have found a "vein" in the branch and are "vampires'!? I will try to get a pic of it - but as the ants were alien invaders - I have got rid of most of them. | About the Author amanda19 Geraldton Mid West WA 20th September 2010 9:31pm #UserID: 2309 Posts: 4607 View All amanda19's Edible Fruit Trees |
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allybanana says... Ants are funny things, what they are sucking is likely nectar excreted by the plants extrafloral nectaries http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nectar, scroll down). It has benefits for the plant, in that the ants attracted to the extrafloral nectaries in turn protect the plant from herbivores see: http://www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1890/04-1916?journalCode=ecol Or increase the rewards for visiting pollinators see: http://www.arc.agric.za/home.asp?PID=3063&ToolID=63&ItemID=3096 The nectaries are located on the stalks of the flowers, and later the stalk above the mango, sometimes it drips nectar over the mango. They are possibly located on the mango tree at other location, but i am not sure.
| About the Author Eden S-East NSW 21st September 2010 9:45pm #UserID: 0 Posts: View All 's Edible Fruit Trees |
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amanda says... Wow Allybanana! U have melted my brain with that response! :) But yea - I agree - ants do some serious work for us. But - my guys are tapping into a 'node' on the branch - not the flower. It's interesting when they do this - on my crown of thorn-type plant - they actually die, on the stem, with their jaws stills stuck in the plant (as the sap is a latex type) ..nothing eats that plant, and gets away with it, actually :))) | About the Author amanda19 Geraldton Mid West WA 21st September 2010 10:39pm #UserID: 2309 Posts: 4607 View All amanda19's Edible Fruit Trees |
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About the Author GaryW South Florida 9th February 2012 2:15pm #UserID: 6523 Posts: 2 View All GaryW's Edible Fruit Trees |
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About the Author GaryW South Florida 9th February 2012 2:15pm #UserID: 6523 Posts: 2 View All GaryW's Edible Fruit Trees |
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snottiegobble says... GaryW, your tree is probably infested with aphids or scale & the side effect is sooty mould. Certain ants farm aphids for the sweet nectar they exude when stroked so if you get rid of the aphids the ants & mould will go too! Garlic spray is effective easy to make & environmently friendly! | About the Author snottiegobble Bunbury/Busso (smackin the middle) 9th February 2012 4:04pm #UserID: 3468 Posts: 1458 View All snottiegobble's Edible Fruit Trees |
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About the Author shinalife1 PARADISE POINT,4216,QLD 7th June 2016 4:55pm #UserID: 14040 Posts: 4 View All shinalife1's Edible Fruit Trees |
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