Ants all over the garden

alexlyne

I have done a quick search through the forum, and found some information, but am wondering if there's anything else.

Ants. All over the lawn. If I smother a nest with ant powder, then it seems to do the trick, except that a few days later a new nest pops up somewhere else.

I tried boiling water last year, though in hindsight that method is better for patios

Is there any way of getting ant killer coverage of the whole lawn? Like a weed-and-feed insecticide? It would have to be pet friendly or I'd never hear the end of it from the missus.

I might try the liquid stuff that you put down near a nest... I don't expect to get every ant, but just to control it a bit so the nipper doesn't get covered in 'em when he's crawling around!

Thank you
al


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rabidbun

I did the boiling water last year - am trying citrus this year (after a recommendation on another forum) but also will be digging a spade full of nest out and putting ant powder right inside it if it's away from my veggies.

I too did the boiling water on the grass...

forgotmyname

I have read about something you spray the whole garden with or water the lawn with and it keeps ants away
for the season. You have to get the timing right though.

Farway

Are they really a problem? Why not live & let live instead of seeking to kill them?

I have ants, they are not a big problem, they do not invade my house or eat my plants, perhaps yours are different?

ancientmum

Will it hurt to have an infestation of ants in the compost? It has not happened before. I don't mind them in the rest of the garden and can cope with them in the house with that stuff mentioned before.

[Deleted User]

there is an ant nematode

rabidbun

The ant nematodes do work well (have to keep them watered after application for a wee while in dry weather); they will encourage the ants to move rather than killing them off. They are also quite costly (three applications or so for the ant season).

frugal_shopper_2

ancientmum wrote: »

Will it hurt to have an infestation of ants in the compost? It has not happened before. I don't mind them in the rest of the garden and can cope with them in the house with that stuff mentioned before.

Ants will do no harm in a compost bin but their presence suggests your compost heap is too dry. To resolve the problem you can either add more green material with a high liquid contents such as lawn clippings or veg peel etc... or you can just water it, once the moisture content has been raised the ants will move & set up home elsewhere.

katholicos

They may be good for aerating the compost heap, lawn etc but i destest the creatures. Before i got into GYO my garden was grassed and for years every spring/summer the kids couldn't play on the grass without geting bitten or having ants crawling all over them. The kids are now of an age where laptops and Xbox's are more entertaining, but even now i've raised beds and no grass at the back at all, the ants are virilant.

My loathing of them comes from inheriting an 'in house infestation' of ants soon after moving int this house 11 years ago. Nightmare I tell you...and i'm not talking about just a few running around in the kitchen!

I don't mind a few in my raised beds, but when i come across huge nests of them they now get the hot water treatment...the hotter the water the better...very satisfying it is too. Live and let live is a load of rollocks IMO!

mrbadexample

Ants in the garden?

To be fair, that's where they live. That's like complaining about sharks in the sea.

forgotmyname

Opened my compost bin lid today and lots of them running around. I would rather they were there
than in the house.

The compost should be brilliant next year.