Ant Problem!

I have many colonies of red + flying Ants in my small lawn...it is driving me mad!

How do I get rid of them please?

I have sandy soil & my lawn is treated regularly by a well known Lawn treatment company!

I have tried 'Nipon' of all types, but to date, no joy!

Hi Rose Ann, There seem to be a lot of ants this year.  I don't have any lawn only gravel, but the  pavers and drive seem to have plenty of ants on them.  Several plants such as shasta daisies are crawling in them.  After dead-heading I find I have to brush them off my hands.  Like you I'ved tried Nipon which usually works, but this year must be ideal for ants with there being so many.

There is an chemical free product called Nemasys No Ants, to use on lawns. It does not kill the ants but irritates them so they move on somewhere else. I have not tried this product but maybe someone else on the forum has, and can advise how it worked for them.

Thanks everyone! looks as if I'm not the only one that has this trouble with Ants; I've just rolled up my hose pipe after watering the garden; the hose was covered in the horrible things & I feel 'itchy' all over!

We've heard of 'Mircle Grow'; what we want now is a 'Mircle Ant Remover'!!!

i too have suffered with loads of ants this year.. i thought with all the rain they woul dahve washed away.. not so lucky.. they are everywhere on the lawn.. i am going to get some of theose nemotodes that kill the queens off.. even the red ones.. which seem to like lawns more than any where else.

i have just looked up about the nematodes for ants to double check what i thought.. and yes it kills the queen off.. so wil be getting some

Thanks Christopher2, didn't realise ants ate aphids, so they are not entirely bad, just a nuisance in large numbers.

lavenderlass wrote (see)

Thanks Christopher2, didn't realise ants ate aphids, so they are not entirely bad, just a nuisance in large numbers.

A bit of confusion I'm afraid-ants don't eat aphids they feed on the sweet excretions that the aphids produce-so if you see ants climbing up plants in numbers it is a clue that aphids are present.

Hence the farming analogy

It's a marriage of convenience.

Aphids secrete honeydew in order to encourage ants. They benefit from their presence due to their ability to drive away predators such as Ladybirds with squirts of formic acid.

I have seen blackbirds eat ants in the lawn, and wonder if ant treatments do them any harm

Yes Lynredshaw; I too worry about that, having watched a Robin yesterday hopping around the lawn. 

A new member to the site; as with most gardeners, all very friendly people!

lynredshaw wrote (see)

I have seen blackbirds eat ants in the lawn, and wonder if ant treatments do them any harm

Rose Ann wrote (see)

Yes Lynredshaw; I too worry about that, having watched a Robin yesterday hopping around the lawn. 

A new member to the site; as with most gardeners, all very friendly people!

mmm-good questions-my feeling is that a bird is going to have to find a poisioned ant-then eat hundreds- if not more-  to feel any ill effect- if at all -so I wouldn't worry.