Hello All, I appreciate your time. I just recently bought a new tree as is my new years tradition. I purchased it just before christmas, so unfortunately what was supposed to be a 2 day journey turned into 5 and a half. It was green and healthy when it got here, but infested with ants. I did notice a little browning at the back fo the tree but did not think it to be much of an issue. I had to submerge the tree for about 20 minutes in order to kill off the ants, they were getting everywhere. IT has sat for the last 3 days since and over the last two the leaves have started to turn quickly. Some are getting lighter, as others are browning at the ends, then drying up and falling off.

I am not sure if this is due to the shock of leaving the Miami heat for a window sill in Atlanta (kept indoors at the moment, 68 degrees F, but been raining for two weeks straight.), the nearly 6 days it spent in a box, me causing it to start to drown for killing the ants, or some other unforeseen problem. I have a few other trees and have never had this problem. Please check out the photos, Ill iclude some from a last week and today. Any advice would be much appreciated!

*the last two are of today, I had a flashlight on it so the leaves look a little more yellow than they do to the naked eye. When I first got it I watered with organic seaweed-based fertilizer, same as I do my other Bonsais.

Ants are not the problem, aphids are. Do not add any fertiiser. Remove all the dead or damaged leaves keep away from heat nsource. You need to treat the aphid infestation,
If you had just bought it then I would say take it back, but if you must keep it then start watering properly, not drowning it. The weather has nothing to do with it. You may be able to save it but if I had bought it I would demand my money back

I have similar problems. I keep a spray bottle with about a third strength rubbing alcohol and spray the aphids. It kills them immediately.

A companion solution is to keep the stands sitting in pans of water. That blocks ants from climbing up to the plant.

Another is to put a small dish near the plants with some jelly and borax.

m5eaygeoff wrote: Ants are not the problem, aphids are. Do not add any fertiiser. Remove all the dead or damaged leaves keep away from heat nsource. You need to treat the aphid infestation,
If you had just bought it then I would say take it back, but if you must keep it then start watering properly, not drowning it. The weather has nothing to do with it. You may be able to save it but if I had bought it I would demand my money back

Hey M5eaygeof, I dont think I have aphids at the moment, the health of the tree has deteriorated more since last night even and after a couple hours of looking I cannot find a single one. Im using a macro-magnifying app on my phone to check the bottom sides of leaves and a light, nothing.

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