Chamaerops Humilis Mounding Method (Before & After PICS) & Ant ATTACK!!! (HELP)

[Dwarf Fan]

My Chamaerops Humilis is getting attacked by ants that were crawling up into the base of the trunk through the roots that were exposed, yesterday I read about the mounting method below and decided it was long past time to take action:

http://www.marriedtoplants.com/palms/palm-tree-growing-tips-mounding/

My C. Humilis was filled to the base of the trunk when I planted it in ground last spring and I even topped up the soil line at the trunk once since then, but rains/watering eventually washed away enough soil to expose the roots again. So today I fertilized with Palm Tone mixed into a dark barky and sandy top soil mix and topped up and mounded as best as I could using the link above as my guide. I think I got it a little high but the picture was taken just after the first watering. I think after the second watering it’ll probably settle in enough to be perfect but any feedback is always appreciated.

Now back to the primary issue, do ants or fire ants attack Chamaerops Humilis? I noticed there was always a lot of ants on and around my other Chamaerops Humilis planted on the other side of the yard ever since day one and now the main trunk seems to be in decline! I am planning to get some Terro bait and put it near the base of the trunk is this a good plan?

 

Edited August 2, 2023 by Dwarf Fan
Horrible Spelling

[Looking Glass]

There are ants in pretty much all of the palms here.  Even when I trim branches 20 feet up.   Flowers and seed pods attract a ton too.   They don’t seem to hurt large adult palms much.  They many even defend against termites, which are plentiful here.   

But I don’t like ants in small or young palms.  They are often farming scale and mealybugs in there, and those suck the life out of young plants.   

I do bait and rebait with Terro or ant gel when there is a problem.  I let them feed on that for a few days to a week, so they can distribute it to other colony members and the queen.  After that I’ll hit the problem area with Bifenthrin.  That will usually take care of things.  I do the same thing with ant mounds that appear between pavers, and ant trails heading up the house, or around doors or windows.