Ants on Citrus Trees - Organic Ant Control with Tanglefoot Sticky Barriers

This video demonstrates how to get rid of ants on citrus trees using tree tanglefoot ant barrier for trees, an organic way to get rid of ants on fruit trees.
Products used:
fruitmentor.com...
Because nectar-loving ants such as the Argentine ant farm nectar-producing insects such as the Asian citrus psyllid, controlling ants on citrus trees is an important measure to reduce the spread of Huanglongbing, a deadly citrus disease spread by citrus psyllids.
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• How to Keep Ants off F... (shows how to keep ants off fruit trees using a liquid ant bait)

[@davidtyler751]

Will the sticky product be ok on a very hot sunny day ? Does it melt ? On a hot day ? Curious to know please

[@Fruitmentor]

Thanks for the great question! I looked it up and the melting point is 160 F/71 C. If it gets that hot, we have worse problems than ants!

[@hanburyhouse]

Excellent video! Please make more! I appreciate all the info you share regarding citrus and have mentioned your videos and website to many other citrus fans in my local chapter of crfg as well as to my neighbors. I love, love, love citrus, and have 8 trees, but am sadden by an increase in recent discoveries of local HLB cases in Southern Ca, including one only 3 miles away. I am not sure if I will be planting or grafting anymore citrus trees, but your videos on ant control and disposal of citrus prunings are all the more important for folks like me around SoCal now. I had been drying them, then running them over with my lawn mover, and then composting them. I am happy to know composting is okay. Thank you so much for your videos! I hope you do some videoes on treatments for killing or repelling psyllids, or barriers to keep them out. For the last two years I have kept my 4 smallest trees protected with homemade fine nets year round, but the other 4 trees are huge, and are in less ideal places to keep covered. I have been spraying neem oil on all the citrus and grapes about once a month hoping to discourage the psyllids from coming around. But as an organic gardener with chickens that often hang out under my citrus trees, my options are limited.

[@Fruitmentor]

Thank you so much for the feedback and for sharing the videos and website! It is so sad that the disease is spreading. I went to Florida this year for the HLB conference and saw the devastation. I am hopeful that improved education and improved technology for early detection of HLB will slow down the spread of the disease. Thank you for your vigilance with your trees! I had not planned a video on spraying for psyllids, but I could. I received some input from an entomologist who thought that videos teaching people to keep ants off of the trees would be the most helpful. I have one more ant video almost ready and a couple more ideas for ant videos. As far as I know, the psyllids have not arrived where I live, but I will be spraying my trees at the first sight of them in addition to keeping the ants off. I understand that it takes time for the parasitic wasps to become established, so I will be sure to spray if I see psyllids. The propagation videos are working very well at reaching people and teaching them about the problem. And many of the citrus propagation videos on KZbin are so bad -- how-to guides on promoting a disease epidemic that will kill our trees. I am hoping to make more propagation videos too. Please let me know if you have any other ideas. Thanks again!

[@ultragamer4960]

Please upload more often I love your videos!

[@Fruitmentor]

Thank you! I appreciate the feedback. Do you have any suggestions for me as to topics for future videos?

[@ultragamer4960]

fruitmentor Here are a few suggestions: How to plant a citrus tree, your favorite varieties , How to prune correctly a Citrus tree, How to treat for diseases, and how to fertilize and when to water.

[@dragonv7863]

thanks, gave me idea. i have red ants that are eating my kaffir lime young leaves. going to try your method

[@Fruitmentor]

You’re welcome! Good luck! I hope that it takes care of the problem!

[@theonlycatonice]

Drink every time he says Citrus

[@mstakenagain]

If the ants are already in the tree, will it still help? Do the ants live in the tree or do they need to come down? If they come down will they get stuck in the tanglefoot, or just not try to come down? Thanks.

[@Fruitmentor]

It still helps because the ant nest is in the ground. The ants that are in the tree become stranded and will eventually fall off. The last time I did this to a heavily infested tree I noticed the stuck ants hiding under leaves and I blasted them off of the tree with water from a hose. That is not necessary, though.

[@bonsummers2657]

I've found white duct tape preferable to that vinyl tape. The duct tape is airy-er and doesn't make the bark underneath 'discolor' so much. Re positioning about every 3 to 4 months is preferable.

[@TorahLifeMinistries]

is the duct tape expandable and do you wrap it with the stick side to the tree?

[@bonsummers2657]

@@TorahLifeMinistries Not expandable, and yes stick side to the tree.

[@rawlifehealthshow]

@@bonsummers2657 Is the non expandable limiting to the tree growth?

[@bonsummers2657]

@@rawlifehealthshow no, because the juncture of overlap would separate, - in that you'd only do one layer and just enough overlap for good hold, and it's just a modest 'friction-adhesive hold', which would eventually separate with modest growth force of the tree/bush. And, take it off after a few months, and then put another band in another location on the trunk. And, for short trunks, get creative, such as make narrower bands to allow for more re-positioning of later band locations.

[@gatorbill53]

Can you specify the manufacturer and product number of this tape ?

[@steveeb00]

I've used Tanglefoot for years. It keeps the ants off, but watch out!. If you accidentally brush your arm against it, or your clothes touch it, it's a *huge mess!*

[@Fruitmentor]

I agree. The first time I used it I got it on my hands and it was difficult to get off.

[@erusmus]

I find the sticky barrier too sticky, it's fairly windy here sometimes, and my barriers end up with too many ant bridges. I have gone for axle grease, less sticky, but as impassable.

[@Fruitmentor]

Thank you for sharing!

[@caseG80]

Are you having good results with the grease ? A lot cheaper ! Thanks

[@misfitthemad276]

Thanks for yet another very informative video. Nice to see New Zealand on this map - even though it's probably there because we've had Argentine ants established here since 1990. :-/

[@Fruitmentor]

You're welcome! I wish New Zealand were not on this map!

[@misfitthemad276]

+fruitmentor You and me both. Thanks again.

[@tohopes]

1:07 God, I hate those scales.

[@Fruitmentor]

Me too. I never see them unless there are ants on the tree, though. They were consumed by predators after I put the tanglefoot on that tree. The cottony cushion scale threatened to destroy the California citrus industry in the 1880s. The new method of biological control was established to combat this insect. Natural enemies were imported from Australia to control it. Here is an interesting article: www.faculty.ucr.edu/~legneref/biotact/ch-35.htm

[@avlifeguard92]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I watched a video where they applied the grease or the grease band directly on the trunk of the tree and them covered it, and I thought it'd be counterproductive. Do you know if this works against codling moth and Mediterranean fruit fly? Thanks in advance.

[@Fruitmentor]

Applying tanglefoot directly to the trunk of the tree would harm the tree. I do not think this would help with Medfly and I am not sure about coddling moth. Here's an article on Medfly that you may find helpful: nucleus.iaea.org/sites/naipc/twd/Documents/South%20Perth-Australia-Medfly.pdf

[@timb.6269]

Thanks for the informative instructional video. It's a bit ironic though, that an "organic" ant control method uses disposable knives that appear to be plastic. Cheap wooden tongue depressors or sticks would work fine.

[@Fruitmentor]

They are actually disposable wooden knives, but the tongue depressors are a good idea too.

[@vulcrums]

hi, this is so helpful.. i wonder if the same product can trap the fruit fly.. is it possible?

[@Fruitmentor]

I am glad that you found it helpful! I have not tried it but I suspect that it could be used to trap fruit flies in conjunction with a good bait.

[@vulcrums]

good bait.. ok.. i hope it will work out..

[@tecnicas.de.thyyarlesmelo8919]

Você é ótimo

[@BhupinderSingh-yh4fc]

Very nice 👍

[@Fruitmentor]

Thank you!

[@ralsharp6013]

Fantastic safe bait stations. I looked for a 'for sale' link but unable to find one...

[@Fruitmentor]

Thank you! Here is the link: www.fruitmentor.com/ant-control

[@dilmayasubba6531]

Thankyou

[@Fruitmentor]

You’re welcome!

[@HaZe_Da_PiTBuLL]

I have problems with fire ants not Argentine ants on my citrus flowers

[@ez2u1]

okay i don't know if those are the ants on my orange trees' but there is a big hole at the base and the ants are living there... can i save these trees?

[@Fruitmentor]

Often ants can cause a buildup of other pests on citrus trees. If you keep the ants off of your trees, natural enemies can take care of those other pests. So if that is your problem, keeping the ants off of the trees will help your tree.

[@dnyaneshbedse5617]

Plz source of gum for required for making yellow trap

[@Fruitmentor]

You can find the products here: fruitmentor.com/AntControl

[@Jahmastasunherbalist]

Not my citrus

[@Fruitmentor]

No ants?

[@Jahmastasunherbalist]

fruitmentor nope, down in Ecuador, vines are the main issue.

[@Tony-fy6bs]

Appears your links to buy the products in this video aren't working.

[@Fruitmentor]

Thank you for letting me know! I’m not sure what happened, but all of the links should be working now.

[@johnmilner7603]

I use an old charge card or Hotel key card to smooth it out…

[@Fruitmentor]

Thank you for the tip! That's a great idea!

[@auditocanarsie7355]

How do you prevent larger pests like squirrels from getting to the citrus fruit?

[@Fruitmentor]

Trapping them is one way. I had this problem for the first time this year. Would you want me to make a video on it? I do not think squirrels care for citrus fruit, but roof rats are a common problem.

[@ananthu1996]

Where can I get sticky barrier!

[@Fruitmentor]

You can find the products here: fruitmentor.com/AntControl

[@tiburonmako9051]

*Por favor activen los subtítulos en español*

[@Fruitmentor]

Planeo una versión con español hablado en fruitmentor español: kzbin.info/door/8A0SVNFPcveadVaNbwpUJQ

[@tiburonmako9051]

fruitmentor *excelente, sería de mucha ayuda 👍👊.*

[@Fruitmentor]

Se publica el video español: kzbin.info/www/bejne/noKWdYOcm7-df6s

[@tecnicas.de.thyyarlesmelo8919]

Manda um oi pra mim

[@ez2u1]

okay i don't know if those are the ants on my orange trees' but there is a big hole at the base and the ants are living there... can i save these trees?

[@Fruitmentor]

Often ants can cause a buildup of other pests on citrus trees. If you keep the ants off of your trees, natural enemies can take care of those other pests. So if that is your problem, keeping the ants off of the trees will help your tree.