Look more for aphids or scale. There is one species of ant called the argentine ant that has been a problem on strawberries and blueberries for me because they "farm aphids".

"Argentine ants are a terrible nuisance in gardens and orchards because they tend and protect scale insects and aphids. They even carry aphids to the tender buds of your prized roses. In return, the ants consume a sweet secretion from the aphids called "honeydew." In addition, swarms of these ants will invade orchard trees, destroying the fruit crop. This is especially serious in figs (Ficus carica) where the symbiotic pollinator wasps are destroyed."

Will do. Going to be hard to with how big these leaves are and how many. Any suggestions one spraying or something? The tree has been pruned to 4ft tall and is about just as wide, and is all new growth.

I have dusted plants with diatomaceous earth before and that took care of the aphids and the ants did not return. On blueberries and strawberries they protect the aphids which are on the new growing shoots, they even built little mounds up around the strawberries for shade or humidity or something. They will clean soap spray off of the aphids, which is what i would normally use. I think I actually saw some of these ants today attacking a breba fig! It is tough to tell them apart I guess, unless they are tending pests.

I read that baiting with boric acid is the best way to get rid of the colonies, sprays or diatomaceous earth will not stop them from eating figs, there are multiple queens that will just replace the workers.

Interesting. I will hit them with a little diatomaceous earth later, and then probably look into that boric acid bait.

Scale will be on the stems, by the way.

No scale, fortunately. Waiting on the weather to clear back up before I hit it with DE.

You can use tanglefoot. It is a non toxic goo that you can apply to the trunk and the ants can't walk through it.

Tanglefoot might be hard to apply, the tree is growing more like a bush. I just dusted it with DE so I will see how that does. It looks like a resident spider has been trying to help me as well.