Ants & Caterpillars on Sawtooth Oak: Don't Use Raid

Ants and caterpillars on young sawtooth oak. Homeowner asks if Raid ant spray harms tree.

Raid Damages Foliage

Carriers in aerosol sprays can burn leaves. Don't spray tree.

For caterpillars (foliar):

For ants + long-term (systemic):

Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub (imidacloprid): Soil drench. Roots carry to leaves. Kills caterpillars, aphids, scales. Ants leave when honeydew source (scales/aphids) gone.
Takes 1 week for full canopy uptake. Protects all season.

Combo approach: Orthene/Bt for quick knock-down + Bayer drench for season-long prevention.

Ants farm honeydew from scales/aphids—Bayer kills the source.

Pests: Sawdust Threads on Oak Tree: Wood Borers or Caterpillar Frass—Diagnosis Steps; Bugs on Florida Tree Trunk: Likely Love Bugs or Similar, Not Harmful; Red & Black Ants in Central WI: Not Fire Ants; Sawdust on Oak Tree: Borers, Not Carpenter Ants; Oak Loopers Defoliating Michigan Oak: Natural Cycles, Little Control Possible; Cedar Tree Carpenter Ants: Decay Management Over Ant Control; Birch Tree Dripping Honeydew: Aphid Control Options; Fire Ants in Pecan Tree: Bait Control Without Harming Tree; Eliminating Ant Colonies at the Base of a Pine Tree; Removing Ants from Outdoor Ficus Before Bringing Indoors

Garden Articles

Plants