Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Re: Ants on Apples

nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Deirdre Birmingham" <deirdreb@mindspring.com>
  • To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Re: Ants on Apples
  • Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 07:20:28 -0500

please note that some apples are bitter because of their tannin levels,
which is hopefully what you meant to say rather than toxins.

--Deirdre
southern WI


> [Original Message]
> From: <list@ginda.us>
> To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Date: 4/22/2005 4:34:45 PM
> Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Re: Ants on Apples
>
> That's certainly a possibility. I notice that last year I had troubles
> with tiny caterpillars a little later in the season on the same
> branches. On the other hand, it seems plausible that ants would
> selectively attack the flowering buds of the domestic apple parts. I'm
> sure the domestic apple tastes better than the crab - my local deer
> show a clear and strong preference. :) I assume that either the
> domestic apple is sweeter (more carbohydrate) or less bitter (fewer
> toxins), which might lead the ants to prefer it, too. And the
> squirrels and rabbits have taught me that fruiting buds taste better
> than vegetative buds (at least to mammals.)
>
> If it is a disease, does anyone have any ideas what it might be, or how
> to combat it? Whatever the problem is, it affects five different
> cultivars of domestic apple on this tree. (Ashmead's Kernal, Karmijn,
> Cox's Orange Pippin, Ribston, and Tydeman's late orange, from two
> different sources)
>
> Ginda
>
> On Apr 22, 2005, at 1:40 PM, Doc Lisenby wrote:
>
> > Ginda, it could be that the ants are merely opportunists.  As you
> > probably know, from you medical background, some human disease
> > organisms only feast on damaged tissue.  I removed two old failed
> > grafts this morning  which were still covered with grafting tape and
> > both of them had ants under the tape.  These ants were of two types,
> > one type was brown and the other was black.  Of course some ants
> > select mainly protein foods and others select carbohydrates.  Fire
> > ants are not attracted to carbohydrates but prefer proteins.  These
> > may be a seasonal preferences.  I don't know.  Maybe our entomologist
> > member has a better explanation.
> > Doc
> > _______________________________________________
> > nafex mailing list
> > nafex@lists.ibiblio.org







Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page