When you spot these insects crawling around your plants, don’t panic.
Use these tips to eliminate ants from your citrus trees.
But if their presence bothers you, it’s time to take action.
Credit: Jay Wilde
Here’s how to get rid of ants in your lemon tree and keep them away for good.
This will help you decide which of the methods below to use to banish them from yourlemon trees.
Ants are most likely to show up in your citrus tree whenaphidsor scale bugs are already there.
These sap-sucking pests produce honeydew, a sweet liquid that ants eat.
Some ants are attracted to the nectar in citrus blossoms, thusacting as pollinators.
They may even gnaw the bark all the way around the trunk, which will eventually kill the tree.
And if possible, isolate the plant to avoid spreading the pests to other plants.
A hard spray of water from your hose also can help knock off aphids.
Repeat the treatments every three weeks until the insects are gone.
Find the nest and pour about three gallons of boiling water on it.
Once it soaks in, this will wipe out the colony.
As with any pesticide, always read and follow label directions to protect yourself and non-target species from harm.
Check the tree every week to confirm ants aren’t sneaking under and eluding the sticky trap.
Reapply the goopy stuff if it’s covered with dead ants.
Keep your citrus tree healthy by making sure it gets at least an inch of water a week.
If you have apotted lemon tree, water whenever the soil feels dry to the touch.
