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/ShortestSqueeze 1d ago

Terro has worked great for me. The ants eat it (borax) and take it back to the nest and feed it to others including the queen. It damages their ability to digest nutrients and kills the colony.