I still want to try that thing where you take a shovel full of an ant hill and drop it on another ant hill and let them fight to the death. One of these days!

Marcia, I tried it and it didn't work. I think their motto is 'make love not war'. I have a huge ant hill under my Frosted Violet heuchera. I think if I dig it up I will be swarmed! Marg

Well, heck, that's no fun! LOL I wonder if it would work if a person just dug the hill out and put it into a wheelbarrow and went and dumped it somewhere. I've got two big hills, and another area around one of the crabapples - don't now what to do about that one because i couldn't dig up that flower bed as it's just a small circular one around the tree.

OK, I always wanted a house on a hill. I guess I should have been a little clearer with the powers that be! LOL! I can't count the ant hills in this yard and they were here before all my peonies!

Only under your heuchera, Marg? My whole front yard is an ant hill! =:/

Ginny

I heard from a lady in my hort group to put down a mixture of Baking soda and sugar. Apparently they eat the baking soda and blow up. The sugar makes the baking soda stick to them so they take it to the queen or something like that! I am going to try it anyways. I have tried relocating them with a shovel and that doesn't work. Neither do the ant things you buy for outdoors.

We've used borax and icing sugar. Limited success.

I'll probably fry in Halifax for my bad deeds against ants; I've been known to pour boiling water over their hills. Make sure you don't do this around any plants you care about. I also disturb their hills when I find them - if you are lucky, you'll locate the queen and can send her to her next life. Keep agitating them and hopefully, they'll move over to your neighbour's yard. :)

Ginny, the first ant hill was those tiny ants that don't really do much. Now I've noticed there are ant hills everywhere and the ants are larger. I don't think they hurt plants because this big one has been under my heuchera for about 6 years and the heuchera is doing just fine. One of these days I will get brave enough to try and divide it. I'm going to try the baking soda and sugar mix on that one. Marg

A lot of times, the ants excavate under your plant's roots and that eventually kills them. I could live with a mall ant hill or two but when they're like 18" across, it's a bit much!

Baking soda and icing sugar definitely work. It won't get all of them immediately or they might move. But considering the cost what do you have to lose?

Well, I have tried everything, and I do mean everything, tocoerce, force, evict, evacuate, destroy, or annihilate ants from this yard with absolutely ZERO results so I was just wondering if they would actually kill my plants.

Marcia, I think this is what I have been worried about since my new plants can't get any good root growth in an ant hill. Some of these hills are deep and taking up far too much prime real estate in my yard!

I have heard that they don't usually start a condo devlopment in really healthy grass. Maybe I will fertilize the HE double hockey sticks out of this grass. It needs it anyway. :)

Ginny

Have you tried Neem powder or oil

Haven't tried Neem. Never even thought of it actually. Well, not for ants anyway. I have used it for the dogs. Will it hurt the plants?

Ginny

Neem is safe for plants, works on other pests as well

At the risk of being dubbed some kind of chemical warfare enthusiast, strong garden chemicals like diazanon and malathion definitely work. In off-garden areas like patios, sidewalks and driveways, toxic liquids such as paint thinner or gasoline are very effective, with the excess chemical vaporizing fairly quickly. Ants are wicked and require wicked treatments.

I totally agree Don! I have tried everything I have found on the market with the exception of repeat chemicals but none seem to get to the Queen's hiding place. =:/ I feel like I am huinting Osama!

I am going to the $ store today and get a few of those screen food covers to put over the hills so the dogs don't get into them. Then I will go to war!!! I WILL WIN! :)

Ginny

Have you tried liquid Sevin (Carbaryl)? It also breaks down very quickly, so no residual chemical is left.

Only powdered Sevin I think. I'll look for the liquid today at Walmart. Apparently they carry it. :)
Thanks Shazam.

Ginny

Found the Sevin liquid at CT today. Unfortunately, it is still raining here. :( I will head out if/when it stops raining. :)

Ginny

Found a homemade Horticultural Glue recipe on an Australian forum. I have not tried it yet. I cannot buy Horticultural Glue on the island - just not available. If anyone knows about using axle grease on the trunk of trees, can you please let me know if I can put the grease directly on the bark?

Homemade Horticultural Glue Recipe
Basic Waterproof Glue

6 tbsp water
2 packets unflavored gelatin (1/2 oz.)
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp glycerine
Bring water to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in gelatin until it is dissolved. Add vinegar and glycerin and stir well. Let the mixture cool slightly and pour into a jar and seal tightly.
To Use: This glue is best applied while warm. Apply to surfaces using a brush. Glue will gel after a few days. To re-use, warm by placing the jar in a pan of hot water.

I think that the rain will just wash this away in no time at all. But I will try it once the dry season has started.