Ants in the lawn

Does anyone have a lawn covered with mounds of soft earth brought up by ants ?  It looks a real muddy mess when it's been mowed. 

I must admit I tend to use boiling water to remove the nests as it doesn't harm the grass and gets rid of the problem.

I had two nests on the lawn and my husband decided boiling water was the answer.  No ants now but the boiling water has left two big bald patches in an otherwise sea of green lawn!  Men!

I've had nests in my greenhouse, shed and even in my flower borders 

But I have to say, Nippon Gel works every time. It's only a couple of quid and a small blob near to ant activity and they pounce on it immediately and take it back to the nest. Dead ants within 48 hours without fail. 

We had a massive ants nest in the kitchen, hundreds of them running all over the surfaces and floor. We put four blobs around the kitchen and turned off the lights. Within an hour the blobs are surrounded by a perfect circle of ants munching away. It is wonderful stuff. Don't get the Nippon ant traps though, they're rubbish, get the gel in a tube. If it's raining (and let's be honest it probably will be) make sure you cover it to stop it washing away. Good luck.

Thanks for the info folks.  I didn't know there was a Nippon gel - have used the powder but I don't think it works very well on wet ground.  Probably be a good idea to cover each ant mound with a bucket after blobbing on the gel !   Must buy some.

Perhaps you should all study these amazing little creatures rather than shuddering and killing them.  Those mounds are created by the ants moving each and every grain of soil individually. They work together and in total peace - they do not fight or obstruct each other, just work tirelessly to get the job done. When an ant finds food it returns to the nest to tell the rest of the colony where to go and after eating they clean themselves and each other scrupulously. Granted, ants in the kitchen is not a great situation but if you remove their source of food by using containers etc they will move on as they are only taking advantage of easy meals. Please think hard before killing entire colonies of these, and other, tiny creatures. They all have a role to play.

Elizabeth4 wrote (see)

Perhaps you should study these amazing little creatures ....

Ants are one of the most important creatures in many ecosystems. In some parts of the world, ant colonies are the main means by which nitrogen is fixed, and made available to other animals and plants. In Britain, some butterflies have symbotic relationships with ants. The butterflies need the ants to tend their lavae...

Sounds great stuff Tim.   When the Anstop is mixed with water, would you know if it's safe to literally water plants with it ?   I've had a number of plants that have been mounded up with soil by ants in the roots.  They can eventually kill or severely affect the plant.

i also have the dreaded ant piles in my lawn, and have tried the boiling water treatment ,only to have unsightly marks on the grass, i find now that by slicing into the mound and sprinkling powder does the trick.

Thanks for all the input folks.  Think I'll try the Anstop on a border plant next.  If anyone has trouble with ants in tomato pots in the greenhouse, I think I've solved the problem there by standing the pots on plantpot saucers - so they can't burrow up into the bottom of the pot.  It also enables you to see when you've given them enough water.