Ant hill problem - how to get rid?
By Fuzzy
United Kingdom
I've lots of ant hills all over the garden, some of them are huge, maybe 30cm high. Does anyone know how I can get rid of them?
My garden is shamefully over-grown with ugly patchy grass so I'm not bothered about the solution being messy if it's the best way.
- 14 Feb, 2008
Answers
I had a terrible prob with Ants when I moved here but I use the Ant bait stations , ( I get them from Asda ) and Ive never had a problem since , like Ukslim says they take the poison back to the nest , feed it to the Queen and thats the end of them .
14 Feb, 2008
I've used Nippon as well for ant nests in large pots. One of the pots is currently indoors for winter and I've not seen a single ant so it has worked without harming the plant
14 Feb, 2008
i also have ant hills everywhere, - red ones! i have'nt laid poison before on them as they are all over brooke play area, but one thing i did do last year when they all started to fly up in the summer was pore boiling water on them and all down the holes where they were coming up from. felt terrible doing it but it did seem to solve the problem temporarily, bet they will be back this year tho.
15 Feb, 2008
Thanks everyone, posion it is then! I'm guessing I just make a hole in the top of the ant hill and pour the posion in? Ooh I'm all excited, I might get a nice tidy garden lawn. I'm a bit worried about the frogs and birds in the garden, do you think it will be safe for them? I've fallen all in love with the wood pidgeons and robins... :)
15 Feb, 2008
My husband also enjoys waging war on anthills using kettlefuls of boiling water...unfortunately he decided to exterminate the anthills on my lawn! So instead of ants I had several large brown patches of dead grass. Doh! (Note to husband: restrict this method to patio!)
15 Feb, 2008
The Ant bait traps i buy come in little containers , bit like a small flat air freshner , they slide under your big plant pots or lay a brick on top of it to stop it blowing away or birds getting to it ,also keeps it dry , the Ant comes along has a drink of the bait then back to the nest , no other small animals are harmed , il find a pic and post it in my photos
15 Feb, 2008
I found them on sale at B&Q after having to ring the manufacturers to find local stockists. Asda is meant to have them but ours didn't. They're are also on E-bay if that's easier.
15 Feb, 2008
Best thing to do is scrape the top of with a spade then lots of boiling water over the remaining ant nest..this kills all remaining ants and eggs .Ive tried it and can honestley say it works GOOD LUCK.
16 Feb, 2008
Right then, I'm boiling that kettle in the morning and exterminating the lot of those pesky ants! Might take a while, seems like the whole garden is one big ant's nest.... If that doesn't work I'm posioning them all. So cruel.... Thanks for your help everyone, much appreciated.
17 Feb, 2008
Only use boiling water if you don't want to scold your grass Because it will mess up your all your lawn. I have the same problem with yellow ants they all flying about yesterday had to go in there was so many. Think I will use the ant bait.
16 Aug, 2016
I'm afraid it has to be poison. "Nippon" is a good example. The worker ants carry it back to the nest and feed it to the queen.
14 Feb, 2008