Spray

• Begin your homemade fruit tree spray to stop ants by filling a spray bottle with equal parts water and white vinegar. To increase the repellent properties of the vinegar, add chopped fresh rosemary or crumbled dry bay leaves to the bottle. Both herbs are natural ant repellents.
  
  

Applications

• Spray the homemade vinegar mixture at the base of your fruit tree and along its bark and branches to keep ants from marching up the trunk. If you need to spray the fruit directly, dilute the vinegar solution to 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water to avoid damaging the fruit before harvest.
  
  

Considerations

• This homemade fruit tree spray does not just work on ants; repels other insects. It could keep beneficial insects away from your fruit tree. Avoid spraying the mixture too close to the ground. Vinegar can cause grass and other plants to wilt if they are exposed to too much.