3 Proven Methods to Control Ants, Aphids and Pests on Fruit Trees and Plants

When a line of ants is marching up the trunk of your peach, apple or lemon tree, the ants are only half the story. Look at the new leaves and you'll usually find curled, sticky tips full of aphids. The ants drink the sweet honeydew the aphids leave behind, and they chase off the ladybugs and tiny wasps that would have eaten them. That's why killing ants on the ground almost never cleans up a fruit tree. In this video, Masao Kobayashi shows three ways to control ants, aphids and other common pests on fruit trees and garden plants, without the strong sprays that kill the helpful insects too. The first is a sticky band on the trunk, with the pruning that keeps ants from finding another way up, and a slow sugar bait for the nest. The second is a late-winter horticultural oil spray that kills overwintering aphid eggs, scale and mite eggs before the leaves open, with the timing for apples, pears, peaches and plums. The third is for summer: a strong spray of water, then insecticidal soap mixed at the right strength, with the jar test for hard water and the plants that don't tolerate soap. It's for backyard orchard growers, people with a citrus or fig in a pot, and anyone growing roses, peppers or beans who keeps losing new growth to aphids. Every dose and timing follows university extension guidance for home gardens. Keep ant bait stations where children and pets can't reach them, and never spray oil within thirty days of sulfur. Which tree in your yard has ants on the trunk right now? #FruitTrees #AphidControl #NaturalPestControl #BackyardOrchard #OrganicGardening