Question
ants on blue spruce
Hi Jim. This is a photo of my neighbour's blue spruce. It seems to be covered in ants. I know ants go after honeydew left by aphids but I don't see any insects on the tree. I think he used water to blast the ants off, just wondering if there could be a problem & is there anything he should be doing? Thanks for your help.
AnswerCheck to see if the foliage and maybe the twigs are sticky--this would be a sign of the honeydew. Honeydew is secreted by both aphids and scale insects. Scales will look like small bumps on the twigs. The water will dislodge the ants and maybe some of the aphids but will do nothing for the scales. Insecticides are the best bet. Check with your local nursery for these.
