Ants!!

[John2468]

Hey everyone!! I recently purchased a bottle palm and noticed there was a very small cut and a few ants coming out of the base when I pulled one of  the boots off. Does this cause damage to the palm? And how do I get rid of the ants??
 

couldn't post pictures tonight because there was a coyote running around our neighborhood. I’ll post pics tomorrow morning.

Edited March 12, 2021 by John2468

[John2468]

[Stevetoad]

They probably weren't coming out of the cut but rather in between the boot ant the trunk doing ant stuff. You should avoid ripping off the old boots for a few reasons. one being that it can open the plant up to disease and fungus and the other is that it can deform the trunk.  I think you plant will be just fine though.

[NorCalWill]

I get ants in potted plants too.

I've had luck pouring a mixture of borax, sugar, and water into a small plastic container that has some holes drilled into it for them to enter.  Don't waste your money on ant stakes. I've tried just about every brand and none of them seem to be effective.

[John2468]

I removed the boots because I saw tons of aphids behind them. The ants seem to come in and out from the base, I don’t know if they are nesting or eating through it. And is there any way I can seal the wound on the plant?? Thanks!! :)

[NorCalWill]

27 minutes ago, John2468 said:

I removed the boots because I saw tons of aphids behind them. The ants seem to come in and out from the base, I don’t know if they are nesting or eating through it. And is there any way I can seal the wound on the plant?? Thanks!!

Aphids attract ants. Spray off the aphids with a jet of water. That usually does the trick.

[John2468]

One last thing, does these wounds damage the palm?? And what do I use to seal it??

Edited March 13, 2021 by John2468

[Johnny Palmseed]

That doesn’t look bad enough to worry about. I’m guessing that happened when you pulled the boot off before it was ready. Like @Stevetoad said, you should avoid doing that. However if you absolutely have to, you can use a sharp knife to cut it off. I recently did this to a wind damage frond that was going to cause more damage by remaining on with the wind whipping it around.

[John2468]

The wound was there when I bought it, I’m guessing that the original grower ripped it off. The boots I removed were completely brown and ready to be cut. I used a scissor to remove it.