Topic: Orange ants

[Moggle]

As I had my turn digging over part of my allotment today, I came across loads and loads of orgngey-brown ants that were probably snuggled up for the winter.

Can anyone help me with what problems I'm likely to get from this? Will the ants die cause they're exposed to the cold. Will they hang around and be hard to shift next year.

I'm not particularly fond of ants, and don't want a big load of them interfering with my fruit bed next year. Trying to be organic so I don't want to use chemicals unless I have to. And I definitely don't want to get bitten by anything   :-X

[Mrs Ava]

Check this link to the RHS site about ants.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0701/ants.asp

[Sarah-b]

Me too Moggle.
Am hoping that they will disappear as I start to work more of the plot. I think they like the bits of rotting wood and other messy stuff around the place (only my idea - could be totally wrong!).
Think it was DP that said to poor boiling water on the blighters - they bite too.

SB

[Doris_Pinks]

Twas me Sarah! burn babies burn! :o  They are vicious little so and so's, and leave lovey red welts that itch for hours!!! I hate red ants, but have noticed a decline on my plot over the years with me digging and making them move on....my poor neighbour is probably infested with them!! :-\  :-\  :-\  Opps!

[Moggle]

Right, thanks all, seems to be boiling water then.

I seem to get bitten by things very easily, then get massive great itchy lumps  :'( Also, for no particular reason, ants creep me out, almost worse than spiders do. As I unearthed lump after lump of ant-filled soil on the weekend, I kept feeling scratchy all over.  :-X