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Mango tree with ants

    9 responses

Susan starts with ...
I have a small mango tree in the ground that I grew from a seed. It has ants feeding on any new growth it gets and it doesn't seem to be all that healthy. How do I get rid of the ants and promote growth?
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Susan
Eltham
19th September 2010 2:06pm
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Wayne says...
Pyrethrum will get rid of the ants Susan and it sounds like your tree is just hungry. Try sulphate of potash, a good organic fertiliser like terrfoska TE and perhaps gypsum if the soil is clay.
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Wayne
Mackay QLD
19th September 2010 2:27pm
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Susan says...
Thanks for the great advice Wayne.
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Susan
Eltham
19th September 2010 5:38pm
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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.
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amanda19
Geraldton Mid West WA
20th September 2010 9:31pm
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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.
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
  
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Eden S-East NSW
21st September 2010 9:45pm
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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 :)))
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amanda19
Geraldton Mid West WA
21st September 2010 10:39pm
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GaryW says...
My dwarf mango has thousands of ants climbing up and down. The leaves are being damaged, with a black guck on them which does wash off with a cloth. The shoots that normally have fruit have now died. What to do? thanks -
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GaryW
South Florida
9th February 2012 2:15pm
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GaryW says...
My dwarf mango has thousands of ants climbing up and down. The leaves are being damaged, with a black guck on them which does wash off with a cloth. The shoots that normally have fruit have now died. What to do? thanks -
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GaryW
South Florida
9th February 2012 2:15pm
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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!
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snottiegobble
Bunbury/Busso (smackin the middle)
9th February 2012 4:04pm
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shinalife1 says...
Use Borax Or boric acid, Mix it with water & a little bit of honey or sugar and spary the mixture to the body & around the tree
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shinalife1
PARADISE POINT,4216,QLD
7th June 2016 4:55pm
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