I have a maple in my yard (sorry, no idea what variety it is, but small leaf 4"x4", red on the seeds, beautiful fall color), and it seems to be dying. It has a lot of ants (1cm, black) that are swarming on the new buds, in particular the shoots at the base of the tree and along the trunk. But up above, it looks like branch by branch the leaves are turning orange, shriveling and dying. At first I thought the ants were not a/the problem, but now I have my doubts. Any idea of they are cause or symptom? Recommendation on what to do, if I would prefer not to use pesticides? I might, if it's the only option, but would not be happy about it. Thanks for any knowledge-sharing on this.
Ants are probably farming aphids. If the infestation is major, they can do a lot of damage to new growth. You can try washing them off with a hose, otherwise you might try a pyrethrum-based (natural plant) insecticide. -E
What emery says +1. I had something very similar to what you describe on a young crabapple tree. I tried every non-toxic method I could think of without success. Finally 2 applications of something pyrethrum-based solved the problem. A month later I finally have some normal-looking leaves and flower buds.
