Pesky red ants

[MK-2]

We pulled up a few patio slabs a few months back to re-lay them and found a horde of red ants under there.
A few kettles of water later and they were all gone. We then noticed some moved further down onto the lawn and had created a mound there which we then boiled too.

We laid a strip of turf by the patio as it needed it and all was fine, until yesterday when I mowed the lawn and as I moved over the turf a lot of soil shot up from the side and red ants spewed out again.

I've looked into the various baits that will kill the queens etc but has anyone got any recommendations so I'm not constantly fighting them? We have at least two areas of known red ant activity.
We also have a cat, so would need to know beforehand if he needs to be kept in, and also tell next door about their cat (who has adopted our garden as her home)

[nephilim]

Do as I did...get some jam, lace it with ant powder, leave a strip of it on your patio for a week, 2 at the most...all ants in the area will die from either getting stuck in the ant powder filled jam, or die from being poisoned by the ant powder when they take it into their hive.

[Little-Miss]

I HATE red Ants....they make me cry. I have a thing about swarming insects...*shudder* and the red ants thing is from getting covered in them when i was a kid lol!!

[MK-2]

Do as I did...get some jam, lace it with ant powder, leave a strip of it on your patio for a week, 2 at the most...all ants in the area will die from either getting stuck in the ant powder filled jam, or die from being poisoned by the ant powder when they take it into their hive.

but thats the thing, if they die before taking it back to the colony, you dont kill the queen so it starts again. i need something that delays killing them and will allow them time to get back to the colony and feed. i've heard maxforce is meant to be good but can't seem to find a UK supplier.

i also assume that our red ants are still classed as fire ants? i've not been stupid enough to put my hand in and see if they do bite/sting but i assume they are of the same variety?

[nephilim]

Cement is your friend in that case....

[Butters]

I'd be half tempted to put a firecracker down the hole.

Failing that drop a nade and take cover.

[Little-Miss]

but thats the thing, if they die before taking it back to the colony, you dont kill the queen so it starts again. i need something that delays killing them and will allow them time to get back to the colony and feed. i've heard maxforce is meant to be good but can't seem to find a UK supplier.

i also assume that our red ants are still classed as fire ants? i've not been stupid enough to put my hand in and see if they do bite/sting but i assume they are of the same variety?

Our red ants bite!

I have images of tiny little sticks of dynamite lol.

[X-13]

anyone got any recommendations so I'm not constantly fighting them?

RELEASE THE KRAKEN!

Attachment 10382


sorry... I'm a bit mad today.

[plexer]

Fire in the red ant hole!!!!!!

Ben

[MK-2]

I'm so glad you all contributed.....you bunch of



seriously though as they are on the edge of the patio and also smack bang in our lawn i'll have to try one of the bait ones as i dont fancy powder or sprays.

[localzuk]

You want to use something like semolina/polenta. They take it back to the queen to eat, and she will eat it, it'll expand and she'll explode.

[JJonas]

I thought most of the ant treatments were designed to kill the nest from the inside. They usually work by killing the grubs. No grubs = no adult workers = not enough food coming back into the nest = queen starves and colony dies

[nephilim]

How to Kill Ants Without Pesticides - wikiHow Some of those are awesome!!

[Butters]

Befriend the red ants and ask them to kindly move their mounds?

[MK-2]

You want to use something like semolina/polenta. They take it back to the queen to eat, and she will eat it, it'll expand and she'll explode.

i thought i'd read somewhere about semolina and it making them expand. might give that a try