Do ants damage white sapote blossoms?

[FigoVelo]

Ants have descended upon (well, ascended) my small Vernon white sapote's blossoms. I assumed they were just gathering up nectar until I noticed today that the tiny little "fruits" in the middle of the blossoms are starting to turn brown. They have not yet fallen off but I fear they will, and I'm wondering if the ants are in some way damaging the blossom. Could this be the case? Do I need to repel them in any way? I know that some ants are considered beneficial for avocados. I hope it's the same for white sapotes.

Thanks.
Alastair

[Tropicaltoba]

Any chance they are farming scale or aphids?

[ScottR]

You do need to watch for scale and meally bugs but tree might be to young to hold fruits anyway, I think ants can be good pollinizers on some plants I think they help my cherimoya.

[FigoVelo]

Good call. Yes, the tree has some scale mites on its leaves. I just looked. The browning on the fruitlets is NOT scale, though maybe it's caused by the infestation? I only saw and removed 4 scale bugs (what's the right term?) but I suppose there are more.

What should I do?!

[Tropicaltoba]

Put tangle foot on the base on some tape. If outdoors Once the ants can’t attack the natural predators th e scale will be gone. If this doesn’t work try to have more local native plants in your backyard to support local predators.

[Tropicaltoba]

Word of caution. If you have a tropical fruit addiction native planting can be even more dangerous. I thought I was ridiculous with my greenhouse until I started to transform my entire yard.

[MisterPlantee]

I had the same issue this year with ants, noticed them running up and down the tree and getting the sap off the flowers. I think they do damage to the stigma of the flower as my fruitlets were turning brown and dropping

[CarolinaZone]

Put amdro ant bait at the bottom if the tree, then a shot of diatomaceous earth. Let them get that swet sweet ant bait. Kill the scale with neem oil and chrysanthemum.

[FigoVelo]

Pollination problems persist here. I have blocked the ants from my tree. Yet the blossoms continue to abort. This happened in the spring, too--hundreds of blossoms, but no fruit. It is otherwise healthy and is putting out new growth. The tree is capable of fruiting, and it did so in 2022 (after blossoming in spring 2021). So, why is it failing now? 

Thanks if you can share any insight into this issue.