Is my tree dead?

[Viscous]

Hello,

My olive tree has had a rough time, its bark was being peeled off by the neighborhood cats, while I was out the country for work, and now it is infested with ants, I think they set base within the tree (see second last attached photo). Looks like it was massacred

I put chicken wire around the tree to protect it from the cats.

Any idea what's wrong with this tree? Can she keep going?

Please help.
Thanks in advance, much appreciated


Here are a few pictures (can take more if needed):

[rainbowgardener]

Your tree does not look dead. You will know - it is spring, it should be putting out new growth.

You do want to protect the bark and ants getting into it is not a good sign. I would spray the bark, especially the wounded areas, with peppermint oil or peppermint extract in water. Peppermint is a good repellant for ants. Then put a barrier on the soil around the tree of some kind of powdery stuff - flour, talc, etc - at leas 1/4" deep for a few inches. That will help keep them from coming back. Ants don't like to cross powdery stuff, it clogs their spiracles.