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)

[featured_spectre]

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?

[featured_spectre]

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!

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]10382[/ATTACH]

 

 

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

[featured_spectre]

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

[Sirbendy]

We got some little dome shaped things containing a liquid...ants had some, went away, never came back.

 

The rice thing, yep..heard that. I quite enjoy using the flame tip on my soldering iron, as it goes..

[MK-2]

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

 

you know how you can really go off some people...........

 

 

 

 

 

these are what i'm looking at:

 

http://www.pesthelp.co.uk/img/products/image529.jpg

[HaleStorm]

i love the idea of turning the ants nest into a vinegar volcano

[6Foot2]

This might seem like a strange question but I will ask it anyway: Do you have access rhubarb plants [specifically their leaves]

 

My parents are plagued with ants [black not red] every year. This year we made a 'soup' out of the discarded leaves [rip the leaves up and drop into a bucket of water for a day or two: Apply the 'soup to the affected area]

 

There is no longer an ant problem.

 

A word to the wise: You will have to be very careful with this stuff and it has a strong smell.

 

The approach from this website is somewhat different:

 

Link: Organic Garden Pest Control

 

...Aphids: Rhubarb leaves are semi-poisonous to us, and a tea brewed from rhubarb leaves poisons smaller critters, such as aphids, mites, white fly, caterpillars etc. Pour boiling water over crushed rhubarb leaves then leave to soak for several days. Strain, add a good squirt of detergent and dilute enough so that it looks like weak tea and spray over pest infested plants. Repeat every 10 days or so......

 

Also wash hands thoruoghly and DON'T let you pets [Cats/Dogs etc] drink it!

 

As with all things poisonous: Handle with care.

 

HTH.

Edited June 13, 2011 by 6Foot2
Correct spelling mistake.

[Heebeejeebee]

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 think that's how the Nipon liquid stuff works. I've used it successfully in the past albeit not with red ant but the normal black/brown type.

 

HBJB

[AyatollahPies]

I had some success with a jar of cheapo artificial sweetener. Make sure it contains Aspartame.

 

It was originally created as an Ant Killer I believe, yet somehow ended up in your cans of Cola, sticks of chewing gum.....

 

[russdev]

Something found out about black ants (not sure of red ants) is that they hate talc powder. We had issue with ants and as got cat did not want to put ant powder down. Put talc at doors an around (cats food bowl) after day all clear..

 

Russ

[tumbleweed]

... Just leave it outside, the little critters go in, get stuck, their friends come to help, and so it goes on.

 

Then, boiling water, or just put the lid on.

 

Won't eradicate them all, but will certainly reduce numbers.

 

Have tried this several times over the years, and it's always done the job for me.

[RabbieBurns]

just let them be. What harm are they doing?

[witch]

Not to derail the thread or anything...but has anyone else noticed how we use the word 'pesky' in written communications but it is never said in normal conversation?