About Honey Locust Tree Pests

• Though generally resistant to pests, honey locust trees can suffer from infestation from several different types of insects under certain conditions. Weakened honey locust trees are especially vulnerable to infestation by honeylocust plant bugs, honeylocust podgall midges, spider mites, eruiphyid mites, cottony maple scale leafhopper and blister beetles. The common aphid that affects many types of plants can also affect honey locusts, bringing in their wake an invasion of ants.
  
  

Ants & Aphids

• Ants and aphids have a curious symbiosis. Aphids are small yellow, brown, red or black insects that suck plant juices and produce a sweet substance as a result called "honeydew." Ants love to feed on honeydow and the ants will in turn herd and protect the ants from predators in order to keep the honeydew food source available. If you see a large number of ants on your honey locust tree, consider the possibility of an aphid infestation drawing them to the tree.
  
  

Controlling Aphid Infestations

• The first step in eliminating ant problems on honey locust trees is to wipe out the aphids attracting them to the tree in the first place. Introducing the natural enemies of aphids such as parasitic wasps can help to keep the aphid population in check and prevent the leaf distortion and ant problems that they cause, according to the University of California Integrated Pest Management Program site. These wasps are harmless to humans, but lay eggs inside the bodies of aphids killing them. Lady beetles, lacewings and syrphid flies are other natural predators that control aphids without toxic effects on the environment.
  
  

Treating Ant Problems On Honey Locust Trees

• To attack the ant problem directly, lay out ant baits under the tree. These generally contain insecticide and a sweet or protein substance that entice the ants to feed and take the substance back to their nests. The ants consume the poison and die. If you prefer a more natural product to use near your plants, use baits containing boric acid, a mineral mined from the earth that acts as a stomach poison on ants. Boric acid has no toxic effects on the environment.