How to get rid of an ants nest in a pot with a bay tree in it

The most efficient way of shifting an ants nest is to open it up and pour boiling water onto it, but you can't do that as its in a pot. I'd soak the pot, remove the plant, shake off as much soil as possible (after the ants had stopped running, their bites can be quite painful!) get rid of the soil its been growing in, with the ants, wash the pot thoroughly, make sure there's no ants left in the rootball of the bay tree, then replant in fresh compost, then put the pot on pot legs or something to keep it raised off the ground, and dust underneath the pot regularly with ant powder. Ants don't like being flooded, so if you're not sure you've cleared the rootball, sit it in a bucket of water and leave it for half an hour or so.

I agree with you there Bamboo. It's what we did with one of our Acers, and it worked.