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Old 25-03-2003, 03:32 PM
Jim Lewis
 
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Default [IBC] ant infestation

Hi Jim,

Third, remember . . . the ants aren't hurting your trees.


That's funny i always thought that ants would cut leaves, take

them to
the nest.
The ants would then feed these leaves to insects that produce,

as an
offset of their eating the leaves, an element that is eaten by

ants.

Come to think of it, if i remember well they use the leaves to

nurish a
certain type of fungus.

Although i'm not to sure if this applies to all ants species,

from the
far reaches of my mind it seams to me that only a specific

"leaf cutting
ant" does
this.
For some reason i have this "parasol" or para something in my

mind.


The various common yard ants don't damage plants. Even fire
ants, the exotic scourge of the SE US don't damage plants. Leaf
cutter ants (and there are several species, and a couple of
genera) are more likely to be found in wooded and damp areas, not
in pots. A few species, including Atta texana, which is found in
Texas and Louisiana, are in the southern US, but most of the
others, including the second Genus (Acromyrex sp.) are tropical.
Their nests are VERY large (I recall a reference to 20 feet), so
you'll not find them in bonsai pots.

They used to be a major southern US agricultural pest (citrus,
etc.), but seem to be chemically controlled, these days. I don't
know how big a problem they are in the tropics.

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Our life is
frittered away by detail . . . . Simplify! Simplify. -- Henry
David Thoreau - Walden

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