do ants help bonsai by
removing the sticky leaf goo
left by aphids ? let them munch
or not ?

Not. Ants actually "milk" aphids, getting the honeydew straight from
the tap. And they will promote more aphids, and your tree will get
stickier and stickier. Protect the soil surface, then wash the whole
plant in a hard stream of water, to remove ants, aphids and goo. If
your bonsai is outdoors, you'll have to move it to keep the ants
away, or else put "tanglefoot" on your bonsai table legs. However,
that would be trading one sticky problem for another.
--
Nina Shishkoff

Frederick, MD

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