Author Topic: Red ants, horrible horrible things.... (Read 9214 times)

DadnDom · « **on:** April 28, 2007, 08:53:42 »

Any ideas to get rid? We have a beautiful garden that we can't enjoy because of them:(
The garden is quite big but is dominated by four very large oaks so only dappled light gets through, lawn is non existant it's more like a glade than a garden. Bluebells, emerging ferns and snowdrops everywhere, BUT we can't sit out and enjoy it because the red ants bite us

Never come across them before, we live in North Wales, I thought biting ants were strictly Johnny Foreigners problem :)

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #1 on:** April 28, 2007, 09:27:59 »

Get some borax, and mix up a little in jam. Put it out in strategic spots, preferably under some sort of cover like a slate or broken pot so bees and other beneficial insects don't get to it.

coznbob · « **Reply #2 on:** April 28, 2007, 14:29:30 »

Found that a kettle of boiling water, will deter them for a bit!

DadnDom · « **Reply #3 on:** April 29, 2007, 17:26:44 »

Did the hot water trick yesterday 14 nests so far :(

Multiveg · « **Reply #4 on:** April 30, 2007, 12:44:00 »

Not seen red ants where I am (Gwynedd), but we did have them at my dad's allotment in SE London.
Hope the boiling water trick keeps works for you.

DadnDom · « **Reply #5 on:** May 03, 2007, 13:42:15 »

It's a losing battle, evertime we turn something over there is a small colony of red ants under it. Trying to fork over an area thats been left to go wild and getting bitten all over. Quite a painful bite the blighter's.

markfield rover · « **Reply #6 on:** May 03, 2007, 13:52:03 »

We have a couple of small red ants nests ,asked a fellow plotter any ideas ,his solution
find a black ants nest dig a bit up and mix into red ants camp.
probably try Roberts borax first.

norfolklass · « **Reply #7 on:** May 03, 2007, 14:04:38 »

Quote from: DadnDom on May 03, 2007, 13:42:15

Quite a painful bite the blighter's.

I'm afraid I don't know how to get rid of them but can vouch for the bite.
to the huge amusement of my friend, I had the v great misfortune to get ants in my pants whilst camping once :-[ :-[ :-[
I'm sure she put my tent there on purpose :o

DadnDom · « **Reply #8 on:** May 03, 2007, 14:21:19 »

I read that the bites pain comes from them injecting formic acid onto nerves in the skin.

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #9 on:** May 03, 2007, 20:25:03 »

Red ants actually sting. Some other ants, notable the big wood ants, have lost their sting, but are able to spray formic acid over anything that threatens them. They'll bite you and then spray the wound.

honeybee · « **Reply #10 on:** May 04, 2007, 16:00:11 »

Have you tried setting Nippon traps?

You can buy them from Wilkinsons and they are very effective.

Emmalm · « **Reply #11 on:** May 06, 2007, 18:54:34 »

My parents garden was innundated with these nasty little creatures, I got so many bites as a kid. The one thing that killed them was the Nippon liquid, you stick it down and the ants take it back to the nest and kill the whole nest, not just one or two.

Keep at it though, it did take them a couple of years to beat them.

RSJK · « **Reply #12 on:** May 06, 2007, 19:02:20 »

i have found the best way to get rid of them is to pour some neat jays fluid near there runs and rthen to pour some water on and let it flow into there nests

elsie · « **Reply #13 on:** May 07, 2007, 00:50:55 »

Hi, I'm new to all this, so am doing lots of reading and not much else! I know I read somewhere that they don't like the smell of cinnamon ??? Also, you can get ant nematodes. Haven't put either into practice, but hope that helps :)

ellkebe · « **Reply #14 on:** May 07, 2007, 18:42:49 »

Have these on the allotment and found my first few in the garden last weekend (though haven't located the nest yet). I wanted to try the semolina approach but can only find ground semolina which seems to be too fine to interest them. Any one have any ideas on where you can find grains rather than 'grounds'? ;D

LesH · « **Reply #15 on:** May 13, 2007, 22:06:51 »

Gound cinnamon works. Sprinkle the G/C over the nest. When the scout ants leave the nest they leave a scent trail. The cinnamon is too strong for the ants. It confuses them and they move the nest. Tried last year and this year, by me and others, worked each time.

ellkebe · « **Reply #16 on:** May 14, 2007, 20:14:24 »

Sounds interesting LesH - but what's to stop them just moving the nest to another nearby point on the same plot? Did you find yours moved far away?

LesH · « **Reply #17 on:** May 14, 2007, 22:27:42 »

Hi Ellkebe. This year when digging the plot, I found a large nest of ants. As I turned the soil over, I sprinkled the ground cinnamon over the ants. No sign of the ants now on my plot.

amanda21 · « **Reply #18 on:** May 18, 2007, 16:01:46 »

I've been on the allotment today and weeding my salad bed I disturbed a couple of ant nests. Are they harmful to the veg growing or any other seeds I sow or can I just leave alone? :-\

ellkebe · « **Reply #19 on:** May 18, 2007, 21:27:01 »

Cheers LesH - I'm going up this weekend armed with ground cinnamon!

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Author Topic: Red ants, horrible horrible things.... (Read 9214 times)