Ants on my Dicksonia Antartica

[samanthak]

5 days ago I planted a dicksonia antartica fern in my garden. I would say that the trunk is approx 3- 4 ft high. Last years ferns have been chopped back and one new one is starting to sprout. But when I looked at it today the trunk and the crown is covered on ANTS! There is no sign of an ants nest nearby but they just seem very attracted to the plant. Is this normal? Should I try and get rid of them or are they harmless?
Many thanks
Sam

[TheLorax]

Need a photo of the ants. Would also be very helpful to know exactly where somerset is. D. antartica is an Australian species but people on other continents do grow it.

[samanthak]

Somerset is in the south west of the uk. I have been told that the DA is very hardy and grown well in the UK climate

[MaineDesigner]

I'm wildly envious but tree ferns are just a dream here. I don't think the ants per se are a problem but it could be that your tree fern is infested with aphids or other sucking insects and that their honeydew has attracted the ants. I would go over it really closely with a hand lens looking for any sign of aphids, scale, mealy bugs, etc. You also ought to let the nursery you bought the fern from know that you may have a problem.

[TheLorax]

Still need a photo of the ants for me to feel comfortable commenting because Pharaoh ant control can be a little tricky and those are documented as being a cause for concern in the UK.

[Jess]

Ants shouldn't cause you any problems with a tree fern. I would do as MD suggested and check what they are after. Tree ferns are prone to all of these pests. No doubt you have had it wrapped up all winter and as our winter was so mild this year it would have become a nice breeding ground.

To keep your plant in tiptop condition you should apply a liquid seaweed feed into the crown. This will help it withstand any pests. Hopefully now it is unwrapped (not forgetting the weather is supposed to be very cold this weekend!) the birds and other predators will come and pick it clean for you.

[opabinia51]

Do you know what works for repelling Ants? I believe it was Cinnamon and cloves were good for something else. You can buy cinnamon in large containers for fairly cheap. I forget what the cloves were good for but, it was somehow related to the ant problem. You can also buy ground cloves.