Hello, I live in Brampton, Ontario. I need your help in fixing my Cherry Tree. Yesterday I noticed my cherry tree getting damaged and almost cut in half. I poured red pepper and water solution in the crack and discovered lot of Carpenter Ants and few borers crawling out of the crack. I took the video of the same but could not upload because of file size restrictions. Soil is Clay and the tree gets good sunlight during the day.
Looking forward to your reply.
Thanks
Thank you for contacting Toronto Master Gardeners about your ailing cherry tree and congratulations on observing this issue. Below is a link to Iowa State University’s article on Carpenter ants in trees which explains your situation well . You do not mention noticing sawdust at the tree opening but let’s assume your ants are Carpenter ants which take advantage of trees that already have rot..so are a symptom rather than a cause of a problem . Now that you know you have a tree with rotting wood, it is best to consult an arborist . I googled Arborist Toronto and found many names of excellent arborists or perhaps you have a neighbour who might also have encountered carpenter ants ( they are in your neighbourhood ) or friend who can recommend one . He or she will probably refer you to an exterminator but the issue is your tree’s health , not the insects taking advantage of its poor health.
https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2009/jun/060503.htm#:~:text=Insecticides
Good luck with this and again , well done that you noticed it and investigated it . Thank you for contacting us .