Wait an extra day between waterings, then immerse the pot in the sink and wait 10 mins. Unless you have 'aqua-ants' they'll be long gone before time's up.

IÂll try that tomorrow seeing as it needs a water already. IÂve read that making a tobacco tea like solution, waiting for it to cool, then pouring over the soil will get rid of most insects! Advisable for a fukien tea or not?

Thanks for the help btw lucy.

Jimmy

I have tried to use the non-toxic dunk method to rid my plants of ant colonies. Yes, it is impressive to see hunderds of ants fleeing the rising water, but it doesn't work completely. They all flee up my tree/plant, wait there, and hide among the leaves which makes spraying them off an arduous task (and here in GA if its fire ants that could be a painful experience.). I often wind up using rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle on everything after they have climbed up. (This also works great for mealy bugs, scale and spider-mites). I sometimes do resort to the residual acting ant-killer spray on the soil (not on the plant - it damages leaves) - for any ants that had SCUBA gear.

OL - Write to Harry Harrington, about the biggest name (but coolest guy) in bonsai in the UK. Either google, or find him at www.thebonsaisite.com as he hangs out there a lot.