Some ripening Colisanti White figs.  They have a very large eye, a lot of flesh but not enough pulp.  Unfortunately it rained lately so they were watery, the ones I picked anyways.  The flavour isn't as good as last year even the ones from before the rain so I think this one is going to be chopped up or used for grafting practice (sorry Herman but I want to try and improve my chances for ischia black rooting so if the graft takes and I can an airlayer.)

Hey Chivas I too noticed the open eye and hollow center. My tree is inground and figs are huge but my main problem isn't sowering or splitting.

Its This





Every Fig that looked ripe was full of freakin ants inside.

The ant problem reminds me of Kadota.

Hey Jon, worst part was I never seen any ants on the exterior of the fig. Little did I know they were having a party inside lol.

Baahg! Just wash 'em out and have a bite :-) .

Just a bit of formic and/or picric acid to add picante to the flavor.

How about placing a tiny tape over the eye when it is ripening. I have some Nardy Blk figs where
ants will bite the figs from the outside. This coming season, I would place a duct tape around the
stem of my trees.

Paully, if ants are climbing up the trunk you could try tanglefoot. The ants get stuck on it preventing them from getting your figs.

Try using one of these cheapo fly sticky traps that pull out of the little tubes you always see them in like delis etc pull it out all the way cut it and wrap the trunk of the tree a couple of inches that stuff is soooo sticky and water doesnt take it off.

Hey Dale. I think you've got it right with formic acid. I've accidentally tasted ants before. Not as good as you might think really. Tasted kinda like when you put a rusty nail in your mouth. I guess not everyone has done that but it's not so great either - really.

The same thing happened to me Nelson, I ended up getting rid of the tree, the flavour was disappointing for me as well though.

i'll be using tangle foot this year. Paradiso Gene has good size eye, and ants love that fig. if it wasn't for the taste, i would have gotten rid of it. but it's sooooo good.

Has anyone tried wrapping the bottom of the trunk with a piece of aluminum foil, then applying petroleum jelly on it?  I saw it on a youtube video as a way to keep ants away.

Good ole ants ! Recall a time when they got in my mouth also .
Never again since.   ; )

The fig looks awfully close to the Armenian one I have in a pot, and it is a keeper, I love it.
The inside is a nice pink color, if it is the same.

You should hire an expert in the picture

You can always use Tanglefoot applied to trunk wrap (never apply directly to the trunk, as in hot weather, it can heat up and damage the cambium layer in the trunk).  This is what I do for ant/aphid control for my citrus trees.  So far, no ants in my figs, but ick!  The thought of biting into a fig, only to find out it was filled with ants is disgusting!

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/ANTKEY/trees.html

http://backyardfoodgrowing.com/how-to-use-tanglefoot

Patty. Biting into ants is no worse than biting into an apple only to find half of a worm :-o . Taste is a little different but still just a little extra protein really ;-) .

Hey Frank. I'm pretty sure the Petroleum Jelly/aluminum foil would be a very effective, low cost alternative. I may even try that myself this year.

I spray my fruits with "dawn" dish soap and diluted water (spray bottle). Works like a charm. Aphids, ants, and leaf-eating buggers hate it.

Jennifer

I hate (real) ants too....

But look at this cute pic of my new grandson wearing an ant (aka., aunt) T-shirt (or whatever it is called?).
Notice them ants FIGuring/trailing the heart-shaped letter "O" in the 'love' word in "I Love My Aunt!".
My daughter got that garment quite a while back as a first good 'surprise-news' present...

gorgi,

love your grandson's pictures.