Topic: red ants

[aquilegia]

Red ants have built a nest in my olive tree's pot. Will they cause any problems? Any non-chemical way that I can deal with them without hurting my tree? Or should I just leave them?

[Fingle....]

I had one of those bstrds bite me at the weekend, I too am concerned about the effect of red ants on a plot, could they actually be a help ie killing aphids etc ?

[rdak]

from what I know (not much!), ants don't directly cause a problem themselves, but they do protect aphids for some reason (think it is to do with the sticky stuff they produce). I've heard that cinammon helps deter ants.

[Doris_Pinks]

I have had several encouters with red ants, they have bitten me loads of times causing red welts on my arms, legs etc  :'( Consequently I now carry an insect bite cream in the car at all times, and wear surgeon type plastic gloves when gardening! Vicious little s*ds they are!  Have noticed though, that over the years they are decreasing on the plot, think it is because they do not like me keep turning the soil over for my blackbird and robin to enjoy them!! As to getting rid of them, someone I know puffs ant powder whenever she see's them, haven't noticed that she has any less!
When we were living overseas and had zillions of regular ants, we used to put a mix of borax, and tuna or sugar (cos they said there are sweet ants and savory ants!) into a jam jar on its side with a hole punched in the lid, the ants used to take the food back to the nest and the borax killed it! Seemed to work ;D  Dottie P

[Multiveg]

JAM
Bob Flowerdew uses jam (has got a stock apparently going back to 1981!) - this then stops the ants from protecting the aphids....

[Fingle....]

What do you mean USE ? Put the jam on the ground ??

[allotment_chick]

...and can you buy Borax in the UK Dottie?  If so, where from?
AC

[Doris_Pinks]

I have seen it somewhere AC, racking my poor brain to think where!! I am sure it was a large supermarket, failing that I guess a hardware store??!!  BTW  unearthed 4 red ants nests today! The robin seemed to be interested! (And none of them got me!!!) But having said that, the nettles fought back and won :'( So still got stung!!

[kingkano]

What do you mean USE ? Put the jam on the ground ??

Apparently so - by putting the jam down the ants take that instead of protecting the aphids.  The ants 'farm' the aphids, protect them from predators, and collect up the sticky 'poo' they secrete after eating the sap etc from your plant.  They are a menace because they protect and encourage aphids round the lottie  :o  I've watched them 'herding' the aphids around hahaha

Not sure what else you can do, like has been said, disrupt their nests when you can, birds will help out :)