Ants

[esrikandan]

This year I've noticed an extreme amount of red ants down at the allotment. They're also eating my potates and sweetcorn which is irritating to say the least. Anyone else experiencing this?

Someone at the site also reckoned that they like compost, which is a new one on me but my raised beds do seem to have huge numbers of them which does seem to confirm this.

[digthatchick]

I have worked on two gardens today - Red Ants by the thousand I think it is just a "good year for them"

[kiwirach]

i have loads of them as well on my allotment. i take a flask of boiling water each time a go, and when i disturb a nest whilst digging...i give them a dose of water!. i've also discovered in long grass i hadnt got round to cutting yet, there are two ants nests, so am going to have to look into how to deal with those.....i'm flask wont cut the mustard there!.

[gingerlover]

I have 2 ant nests on my site, 1 red and the other black.

I have been told ***** fluid is good but not sure how it will affect the plants.

[rustylady]

I have been told ***** fluid is good but not sure how it will affect the plants.

Depends on the dilution rate, trouble is if it's weak enough not to hurt the plants it probly wont be strong enough to get rid of the ants. Ants don't like being wet or being disturbed, so thorough watering and regular hoeing may deter them

[Hazel at the Hill]

This year I've noticed an extreme amount of red ants down at the allotment. They're also eating my potates and sweetcorn which is irritating to say the least. Anyone else experiencing this?

I didn't think that ants caused damage like this...? Are you sure any damage on the potatoes is due to ants and not - say - slugs?

If you really don't want ants, disturb the nests and expose the eggs, the birds will have a field day.

[esrikandan]

Definitely ants - they've been at everything this year including my apples and the damage on all is the same.

[greengas]

I was unsure whether ants caused damage? I have been digging beds on my new allotment and there seem to be red ants in every bit of earth I dig up. I have been bitten several times and the blighters hurt. Please can someone tell me if they will cause damage to my crops?

[Glutton4...]

Blimmin things got me when I was weeding in someone's garden last week, they must've got inside the cuff of my gloves, as both wrists swelled so much I couldn't wear my watch for three days. Antihistamine didn't make much difference either

[Two_Sheds]

Ants eat other insects, but don't usually (I've never known it) eat vegetables, although they do like sweet things: fruit and the honeydew secreted by aphids.
Apparently they don't like peppermint; you could also try trapping them Red Ants

[Rabidbun]

Also plagued with the dratted things - just found that the nests on my lawn have spread to two of my three raised beds *cries* - has anyone tried those nematodes with any success?

[PaulG]

We had an ants nest appear very close to the house, a liberal dosage of ground cinnamon (half a bottle of Sainsbury's own) all around the nest area and they have completely gone, might be worth a try if it stays dry for a night or two.

[Solitaire]

I've got lots of ants here, mostly black ones, large and small

[RedThorn]

red ants killed 2 courgette plants and a squash plant last year, I kept digging and overwatering them... touch wood no site if them in that area this year. (I also dug up the area overwinter so not too sure what finally killed them off....

[Shadylane]

Are you sure it was the ants that killed them. We have absolutely zillions down our allotment, the neighbours say they've always been there but other than the occasional bite, they don't really do any harm. Having said that I caught some farming a colony of black fly on the runners the other day. Needless to say their 'farm' got 'relocated'.