Help with a morello cherry tree?

[Lauries]

Hello all,

Can anybody shed some light on a minor issue with my cherry tree?

I grow lots of fruit (blackcurrants, strawberries, gooseberries, blackberries, figs and apples) all in pots. I bought a morello cherry tree in early march; a year or two old and in very good condition.

I constantly see black ants crawling up the trunk and branches of my cherry tree but I never see any on any of my other fruit. Now, I know ants would normally signal an aphid problem but my tree has frankly never looked better! There is no evidence of aphid damage at all, the leaves are lush and green, lots of flowers, small wasp like insects constantly flying around inside them... i'm not convinced they are actually wasps, very small and don't buzz or sting me. I like them a lot more

So, what I want to know really is should I be concerned about all these ants or should I just leave them be? I'm hesitant to spray, I like to do things organically.

Look forward to any help received!

[Capsid]

Ants are always out foraging, they cause no harm and you shouldn't worry. The wasps are probably hoverflies, very beneficial.

[Lauries]

Lovely
Thank you very much!

[sarraceniac]

I slightly disagree with Capsid. Ants deliberately encourage aphids to a fruit tree so they can farm them. I would look for an organic control if I were you before they open a greenfly farm. personally I just use ant powder. Capsid's right on the hoverflies though. give them a party.

[Capsid]

I slightly disagree with Capsid. Ants deliberately encourage aphids to a fruit tree so they can farm them. I would look for an organic control if I were you before they open a greenfly farm. personally I just use ant powder. Capsid's right on the hoverflies though. give them a party.

Hmmm, OK. How do ants encourage the aphids?

[sarraceniac]

Not sure of the exact chemistry. But as I understand it they put out some sort of chemical lure which attracts aphids. The other theory is that although they don't attract them per se they do 'enslave' aphids that land on the tree and farm them. There is loads of info on this if you Google 'Ants farm aphids'. Or you can use my lazy system and just let FB catch this thread and explain it. He's the bio guy.

[sarraceniac]

Ah. I see that there are 2 threads going on this and FB has already replied. Lauries has found the other thread so it just remains to say 'If a mod spots this can they be combined please?'

[Capsid]

Not sure of the exact chemistry. But as I understand it they put out some sort of chemical lure which attracts aphids. The other theory is that although they don't attract them per se they do 'enslave' aphids that land on the tree and farm them. There is loads of info on this if you Google 'Ants farm aphids'. Or you can use my lazy system and just let FB catch this thread and explain it. He's the bio guy.

Ok found this.

How ants farm aphids - Tree World

The ants secrete a chemical which can subdue the aphids and stop them wandering away. Not really lure/attractant.