I have that problem, too! What worked great was a product called Tanglefoot. Its EXTREMELY sticky (so be careful not to get any on your hands). I wrapped the base of the trunk with a piece of duct tape and then smeared the product over the tape to a depth of 1/8" (Of course, first remove the ants by hand or a jet of water, otherwise they'll be trapped on it.) Then, as a backup, I sprinkled cinnamon around the perimeter of the plant on the soil. Ants hate cinnamon! You'll see that they will not want to cross over it. Tanglefoot is safe, does not wash away with rain, and has worked like a charm. If you can't find it locally, check Amazon. I use both as you must reapply cinnamon after a heavy rain, and some ants do manage to make it through (maybe by making an ant bridge). Most say that if you have ants, its a sign that you have aphids, as they secrete a honeydew which attracts the ants. Get rid of the aphids, and your ant problem is gone. I've yet to find a single aphid on my plants, so I have have mixed feelings on that statement. Anyway, hope this helps!

@ hoosier2b:

do you think if I just sprinkled the cinnamon that it would help?

It will definitely help, just don't forget to get the ants off first, and to reapply as needed. Good luck.

{{gwi:898597}}

If your red/orange bug looks like or similar to the one in the picture then you have an assassin bug. They prey on many bugs that will land on your plants; I do not believe they prey on ants. The assassin bugs in my garden look very similar, but have one large black spot on their backs.