Q.Peach Tree Question
Our peach tree didn’t get any leaves or fruit on it last year and then again this year. We thought they were dead and cut one of the trees down, but the trunk had sap and was green wood, and full of ants. Will the ant infestation cause the tree to go dormant? Or are the trees dead and we need to start over?
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
The ants would not have killed it, but would be an indicator of something else wrong. If the ants were on the outside of the tree, say in the canopy, the likely cause is aphids. Ants will gather where aphids are because they use the aphids like little cows and milk them for their sweet honeydew. The aphids would be the reason for the trees' decline. Aphids can be treated with a pesticide.
If the ants were in the interior of the trunk, this would indicate that the heartwood is rotting (which made it soft enough for the ants to tunnel through. This does not bode well for the trees and you would need to have an arborist look at the trees and tell you if they are salvageable or if they must be cut down.
