Hi everyone,

I'm a newy as you will probably figure from the simple questions !

I planted a young sycamore (about 8 feet tall) about a week ago and have noticed what looks very like ants attacking the leaves - and they have made quite a few holes already.

I'm very concerned this is going to seriously affect the tree before it has even got started ! Maybe even kill it.

Any advice would be appreciated.

In article m,
topcat wrote:

I planted a young sycamore (about 8 feet tall) about a week ago and
have noticed what looks very like ants attacking the leaves - and they
have made quite a few holes already.

I'm very concerned this is going to seriously affect the tree before it
has even got started ! Maybe even kill it.

Firstly, DON'T PANIC. Killing a sycamore is quite hard work.

Secondly, the ants are harmless and irrelevant.

The answer is that they are milking aphids for their honeydew.
Getting rid of the aphids may be worthwhile, and the ants will
then go elsewhere. Persecuting the ants will do nothing useful.

Try spraying both sides of the leaves with a strongish washing
up solution of washing up liquid or (better) horticultural soft
soap (e.g. Savona). If your garden centre doesn't have the latter,
the former is nearly as good. You need only a cheap 1-2 litre
hand sprayer, and those liquids will do you no harm if you soak
yourself as well as the tree. Actually, a cheap shampoo would
do equally well :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article m,
topcat wrote:

I planted a young sycamore (about 8 feet tall) about a week ago and
have noticed what looks very like ants attacking the leaves - and they
have made quite a few holes already.

I'm very concerned this is going to seriously affect the tree before it
has even got started ! Maybe even kill it.

Firstly, DON'T PANIC. Killing a sycamore is quite hard work.

Secondly, the ants are harmless and irrelevant.

The answer is that they are milking aphids for their honeydew.
Getting rid of the aphids may be worthwhile, and the ants will
then go elsewhere. Persecuting the ants will do nothing useful.

Try spraying both sides of the leaves with a strongish washing
up solution of washing up liquid or (better) horticultural soft
soap (e.g. Savona). If your garden centre doesn't have the latter,
the former is nearly as good. You need only a cheap 1-2 litre
hand sprayer, and those liquids will do you no harm if you soak
yourself as well as the tree. Actually, a cheap shampoo would
do equally well :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article m,
topcat wrote:

I planted a young sycamore (about 8 feet tall) about a week ago and
have noticed what looks very like ants attacking the leaves - and they
have made quite a few holes already.

I'm very concerned this is going to seriously affect the tree before it
has even got started ! Maybe even kill it.

Firstly, DON'T PANIC. Killing a sycamore is quite hard work.

Secondly, the ants are harmless and irrelevant.

The answer is that they are milking aphids for their honeydew.
Getting rid of the aphids may be worthwhile, and the ants will
then go elsewhere. Persecuting the ants will do nothing useful.

Try spraying both sides of the leaves with a strongish washing
up solution of washing up liquid or (better) horticultural soft
soap (e.g. Savona). If your garden centre doesn't have the latter,
the former is nearly as good. You need only a cheap 1-2 litre
hand sprayer, and those liquids will do you no harm if you soak
yourself as well as the tree. Actually, a cheap shampoo would
do equally well :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article m,
topcat wrote:

I planted a young sycamore (about 8 feet tall) about a week ago and
have noticed what looks very like ants attacking the leaves - and they
have made quite a few holes already.

I'm very concerned this is going to seriously affect the tree before it
has even got started ! Maybe even kill it.

Firstly, DON'T PANIC. Killing a sycamore is quite hard work.

Secondly, the ants are harmless and irrelevant.

The answer is that they are milking aphids for their honeydew.
Getting rid of the aphids may be worthwhile, and the ants will
then go elsewhere. Persecuting the ants will do nothing useful.

Try spraying both sides of the leaves with a strongish washing
up solution of washing up liquid or (better) horticultural soft
soap (e.g. Savona). If your garden centre doesn't have the latter,
the former is nearly as good. You need only a cheap 1-2 litre
hand sprayer, and those liquids will do you no harm if you soak
yourself as well as the tree. Actually, a cheap shampoo would
do equally well :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article m,
topcat wrote:

I planted a young sycamore (about 8 feet tall) about a week ago and
have noticed what looks very like ants attacking the leaves - and they
have made quite a few holes already.

I'm very concerned this is going to seriously affect the tree before it
has even got started ! Maybe even kill it.

Firstly, DON'T PANIC. Killing a sycamore is quite hard work.

Secondly, the ants are harmless and irrelevant.

The answer is that they are milking aphids for their honeydew.
Getting rid of the aphids may be worthwhile, and the ants will
then go elsewhere. Persecuting the ants will do nothing useful.

Try spraying both sides of the leaves with a strongish washing
up solution of washing up liquid or (better) horticultural soft
soap (e.g. Savona). If your garden centre doesn't have the latter,
the former is nearly as good. You need only a cheap 1-2 litre
hand sprayer, and those liquids will do you no harm if you soak
yourself as well as the tree. Actually, a cheap shampoo would
do equally well :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article m,
topcat wrote:

I planted a young sycamore (about 8 feet tall) about a week ago and
have noticed what looks very like ants attacking the leaves - and they
have made quite a few holes already.

I'm very concerned this is going to seriously affect the tree before it
has even got started ! Maybe even kill it.

Firstly, DON'T PANIC. Killing a sycamore is quite hard work.

Secondly, the ants are harmless and irrelevant.

The answer is that they are milking aphids for their honeydew.
Getting rid of the aphids may be worthwhile, and the ants will
then go elsewhere. Persecuting the ants will do nothing useful.

Try spraying both sides of the leaves with a strongish washing
up solution of washing up liquid or (better) horticultural soft
soap (e.g. Savona). If your garden centre doesn't have the latter,
the former is nearly as good. You need only a cheap 1-2 litre
hand sprayer, and those liquids will do you no harm if you soak
yourself as well as the tree. Actually, a cheap shampoo would
do equally well :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article m,
topcat wrote:

I planted a young sycamore (about 8 feet tall) about a week ago and
have noticed what looks very like ants attacking the leaves - and they
have made quite a few holes already.

I'm very concerned this is going to seriously affect the tree before it
has even got started ! Maybe even kill it.

Firstly, DON'T PANIC. Killing a sycamore is quite hard work.

Secondly, the ants are harmless and irrelevant.

The answer is that they are milking aphids for their honeydew.
Getting rid of the aphids may be worthwhile, and the ants will
then go elsewhere. Persecuting the ants will do nothing useful.

Try spraying both sides of the leaves with a strongish washing
up solution of washing up liquid or (better) horticultural soft
soap (e.g. Savona). If your garden centre doesn't have the latter,
the former is nearly as good. You need only a cheap 1-2 litre
hand sprayer, and those liquids will do you no harm if you soak
yourself as well as the tree. Actually, a cheap shampoo would
do equally well :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article m,
topcat wrote:

I planted a young sycamore (about 8 feet tall) about a week ago and
have noticed what looks very like ants attacking the leaves - and they
have made quite a few holes already.

I'm very concerned this is going to seriously affect the tree before it
has even got started ! Maybe even kill it.

Firstly, DON'T PANIC. Killing a sycamore is quite hard work.

Secondly, the ants are harmless and irrelevant.

The answer is that they are milking aphids for their honeydew.
Getting rid of the aphids may be worthwhile, and the ants will
then go elsewhere. Persecuting the ants will do nothing useful.

Try spraying both sides of the leaves with a strongish washing
up solution of washing up liquid or (better) horticultural soft
soap (e.g. Savona). If your garden centre doesn't have the latter,
the former is nearly as good. You need only a cheap 1-2 litre
hand sprayer, and those liquids will do you no harm if you soak
yourself as well as the tree. Actually, a cheap shampoo would
do equally well :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article m,
topcat wrote:

I planted a young sycamore (about 8 feet tall) about a week ago and
have noticed what looks very like ants attacking the leaves - and they
have made quite a few holes already.

I'm very concerned this is going to seriously affect the tree before it
has even got started ! Maybe even kill it.

Firstly, DON'T PANIC. Killing a sycamore is quite hard work.

Secondly, the ants are harmless and irrelevant.

The answer is that they are milking aphids for their honeydew.
Getting rid of the aphids may be worthwhile, and the ants will
then go elsewhere. Persecuting the ants will do nothing useful.

Try spraying both sides of the leaves with a strongish washing
up solution of washing up liquid or (better) horticultural soft
soap (e.g. Savona). If your garden centre doesn't have the latter,
the former is nearly as good. You need only a cheap 1-2 litre
hand sprayer, and those liquids will do you no harm if you soak
yourself as well as the tree. Actually, a cheap shampoo would
do equally well :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article m,
topcat wrote:

I planted a young sycamore (about 8 feet tall) about a week ago and
have noticed what looks very like ants attacking the leaves - and they
have made quite a few holes already.

I'm very concerned this is going to seriously affect the tree before it
has even got started ! Maybe even kill it.

Firstly, DON'T PANIC. Killing a sycamore is quite hard work.

Secondly, the ants are harmless and irrelevant.

The answer is that they are milking aphids for their honeydew.
Getting rid of the aphids may be worthwhile, and the ants will
then go elsewhere. Persecuting the ants will do nothing useful.

Try spraying both sides of the leaves with a strongish washing
up solution of washing up liquid or (better) horticultural soft
soap (e.g. Savona). If your garden centre doesn't have the latter,
the former is nearly as good. You need only a cheap 1-2 litre
hand sprayer, and those liquids will do you no harm if you soak
yourself as well as the tree. Actually, a cheap shampoo would
do equally well :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In message m, topcat
writes
Hi everyone,

I'm a newy as you will probably figure from the simple questions !

I planted a young sycamore (about 8 feet tall) about a week ago and
have noticed what looks very like ants attacking the leaves - and they
have made quite a few holes already.

I'm very concerned this is going to seriously affect the tree before it
has even got started ! Maybe even kill it.

Any advice would be appreciated.

The ants are trying to do you a favour. They grow big, ugly and
seedlings will be everywhere within a couple of years. Rip the thing out
while you still can and plant a nice tree from the Acer family rather
than a horrid weed.

Seriously. Ants are not going to stop or even inconvenience an 8' tall
sycamore tree.

Choose your trees wisely - you will be stuck with them for a long time.

Regards,
--
Martin Brown

"Martin Brown" wrote in message

The ants are trying to do you a favour. They grow big, ugly and
seedlings will be everywhere within a couple of years. Rip the thing out
while you still can and plant a nice tree from the Acer family rather
than a horrid weed.


Wise advice. Anyone who has to live near a mature sycamore will agree.
Sycamore are forest trees, quite unsuitable for gardens.
Planting one in your own garden is asking for several sorts of trouble.