Pear Tree with carpenter ants – help!

I just moved into my grandmother’s house. She has a mature pear tree that has not been cared for for years. There are many dead branches. I did some pruning and found carpenter ants living in the thicker branches close to the trunk. There are ripe fruits on the tree. Lots of ants in the trunk and lots of sawdust. How do I get rid of the ants? Is the fruit safe to eat? Can I save the tree? Thank you in advance!
Jess

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1 Comment To "Pear Tree with carpenter ants – help!"

#1 Comment By Downtoearthdigs On 09/04/2015 @ 12:24 am

Your tree is likely suffering from a few issues.

The sawdust is likely caused by Borers.
Here is a link that explains this insect.

The ants are likely attracted to honeydew. They feed on the honeydew which is secreted from insects.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/what-is-honeydew.htm ^[1]

I’m listing pruning information.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/pear/pear-tree-pruning.htm ^[2]

This may be a case where you would like a professional to inspect the tree.

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URL to article: https://questions.gardeningknowhow.com/pear-tree-with-carpenter-ants-help/

URLs in this post:

[1] https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/what-is-honeydew.htm: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/what-is-honeydew.htm

[2] https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/pear/pear-tree-pruning.htm: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/pear/pear-tree-pruning.htm

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