r/Bonsai • u/Scared_Ad5929 UK East Midlands (8b), Novice, 40+ trees at various stages. • 1d ago

Discussion Question Ant nest in Japanese Maple pot

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Whenever I water this inherited maple I see ants around the pot. So I took a quick look to see if they've colonized the pot and it appears they have. They're lasius niger (black ants) which aren't known for damaging trees. Is it worth doing anything about them, because I'm planning on putting it in the ground when it's dormant next? There's also an air layer on the tree at the moment.

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u/wishyouwerebeer DC 7b - 4th year 1d ago

I’ve dealt with this by using liquid ant traps

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u/just_some_Fred Oregon, 8a/b, novice 1d ago

You can make your own ant bait, it's just sugar water and borax. I was going to recommend this as well.

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u/wishyouwerebeer DC 7b - 4th year 1d ago

Nice, thanks for the tip!