Bugs will be bugs! (now that I'm thinking about bugs)...

I have a miniature Japanese maple tree, almost 20 years old and four feet
tall and it's swarmed by sugar ants for a good part of the year.

Industrious tiny things. Neighbor up the road has a beautiful huge
miniature Japanese maple tree, probably 40 years old. I always stop to
admire it!

http://i16.tinypic.com/4zvd8o7.jpg

On closer inspection, it's either two maples or re-rooted.

I've got a string of eight rhododendrons that rerooted they're way along. A
great sight to see. Must be 30 years old!\ or more.

Andy