I live on the second floor in an apartment and I have red ants in my orchids. The orchids are intertwined into a 6 foot standing tree. I pulled as many orchids out as I can the ones that are rooted to the tree are still there. The ants just moved from one plant to the other. I've used the seven spray both the granules and the spray and still I have them. Any ideas?
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OK, I am trying to understand this one. You live on the 2nd floor of an apartment building. You have planted orchids on your balcony I presume. Now that they have grown up they are latching onto the tree that you can see from your balcony. So now you have removed as many of them as you can and have planted them into pots again. However, you still have issues with red ants being in your orchids.
Ants normally are not attracted to orchids and when they are this isn't a good sign at all. This means that something else is attacking your orchids which is bringing in the ants to eat the sugary sap that they are leaving behind.
You will need to buy some Insecticidal Soap and start spraying the orchids with this to get rid of the aphids. Once this is done and you still have ants there are several solutions to try and bate these ants to leave your orchid pots so you can trap them and kill them. You can use ant traps to do this or even tape that lures flies away.
I'm assuming this 'tree' is indoors and your orchids have been planted among the limbs.
Most likely your plants have aphids and the ants are there because they are after the aphids so you need to use insecticidal soap, horticultural soap or insecticide to rid the tree of sap-feeding insects like your ants.
If you continue to have problems you should contact your local county extension agency and ask them for solutions as this is a service your taxes pay for,
ask.extension.org/
I guess it is difficult to understand just what type of tree you are referring to.
But, you say you live on the second floor and the tree is 6 foot tall which eliminates it being an outdoor tree - right?
As most have explained ants are most likely going for aphids as this is one of their favorite foods. Use an insecticidal soap (like Neem oil) and their food will no longer be available and the Neem Oil kills the ants as well.
Repotting the Orchid could help, because the ants may be into the soil as well. Change out the soil to eliminate any other insects or eggs in the soil. There is also insecticidal soaps that you can use that stops infestation. homeguides.sfgate.com/
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