white ants in wine barrel (forum)

Kara starts with ...
Help! I have a mature (5 year old) dwarf pink lady in a 1/2 wine barrel. It currently has a few little apples forming (fewer than last year). Yesterday the white ant inspection revealed that the barrel is &quote;full of white ants&quote; (no nest, thankfully) and the barrel has been treated (I've been assured this won't affect the tree or this year's fruit), but the termite guy said I needed to get rid of the barrel ASAP (after the 2 week period for treatment).

When is the best time to transplant the tree? I really want it back in a container of some sort, as it's a really lovely tree, with almost a bonsai shape to it, and I don't want to have to leave it behind if/when we move! What sort of container would people recommend?

Time: 10th February 2018 1:08pm

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About the Author Kara
Pinjarra WA
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Anthony says...
I wouldn’t get rid of the barrel or worry about transplanting the tree.
I assume the barrel was sitting flat on the ground?
If you can lift the barrel up off the ground you will probably solve the problem. The white ants were possibly after the potting mix and all you have to do is restrict their access. I get this all the time with my dragonfruit!
Cut off their access to the ground and the termites will generally die.

Time: 10th February 2018 9:58pm

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Original Post was last edited: 11th February 2018 9:38pm
About the Author Anthony
Plainland
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Iris Thomas says...
Ways to get rid of ants in the garden soil: frequently water your garden soil, use ant repellent scents, pour boiling water into ant’s nest, use an ant bait using borax and sugar, apply nematodes, plant herbs that repel ants, apply diatomaceous earth (de) to the soil.

Time: 5th July 2022 5:42pm

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About the Author Iris Thomas
Los Angeles 7110 California Hoa Kỳ
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