ant hills???

[mikehextall]

Hi thanks for the recent help with the weeds problem now I have another problem, their are ant hills in the garden and when I put the spade through them they are full of red/orange ants. HELP??

[rainbowgardener]

Ants in the veggie garden aren't really a problem and nothing needs to be done. But you put this in Lawn Care, so I assume the ant hills are in the lawn? That is at least a nuisance and unattractive. And the red ants usually have a kind of nasty bite.

One simple thing to do about that is open the ant hill up a little and pour boiling water into it. Or you can take a shop vac and vacuum them up. Spread diatomaceous earth around or boric acid powder.

If the boiling water makes you imagine thousands of tiny high pitched screams, you can work on just repelling them. All kinds of strong smelling things are supposed to repel them including vinegar, cinnamon, black pepper, cayenne pepper, bay leaves, peppermint oil or other mints, cloves, garlic. Sprinkle generously through the lawn and see if they go away. (Be careful with the vinegar, don't put it on your lawn, it can burn or even kill the grass)

[The Helpful Gardener]

Not a lawn issue until we are talking fire ants; ants are aeration and aeration is a friend to the lawn...

HG

[mikehextall]

they are a red/orange colour and have made hills upto a foot high.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Where are you at Mike?

HG

[mikehextall]

UK