Anthills in the garden - help?

[Blair Larsen]

For the last several years, I've had ant hills in my garden. I mean they are IN the garden, right with the plants and all. So, when I trim, or weed, or harvest, it upsets the ants and they all come streaming out and I have to go away for a day. These are regular black ants, not the fire ant kind (thank goodness!).

I've planted some of my garden for this year, and am thinking ahead to when the ants get active.

Does anyone have any suggestions to help either kill the ants, or encourage them to build elsewhere? I'm in Northern Utah, Zone 4.

Thanks in advance - Blair

[tb]

Just regular ant killer in liquid spray (or granules you wet down) will be ok, and is what I use. keep it on the ground and off the plants.

[gonzo]

If you want to keep away from pesticides, there is an "old-timer" trick using borax and sugar that might be kinda.. nasty.. on the little fellers.

Apparently a chemical reaction takes place and the ants blow up (assuming not literally, they just get too big for their chitin/whatever you call it) and they burst. Other ants eat that, and it goes on in a chain reaction.

Sorry I don't have the recipe handy, I think maybe I read it in an old back issue of mother earth news or something along those lines.

[Jim Carlock]

Put some grits around their hills. They'll be gone in a day or two. Someone has suggested that the grits makes them move, but I'm thinking it kills them (or at least that hill). Try not to disturb the hill when you drop a spoonfull of grits around it. Let me know if they are still there two days later.

-- Jim Carlock Please post replies to newsgroup.

"Blair Larsen" wrote: For the last several years, I've had ant hills in my garden. I mean they are IN the garden, right with the plants and all. So, when I trim, or weed, or harvest, it upsets the ants and they all come streaming out and I have to go away for a day. These are regular black ants, not the fire ant kind (thank goodness!).

I've planted some of my garden for this year, and am thinking ahead to when the ants get active.

Does anyone have any suggestions to help either kill the ants, or encourage them to build elsewhere? I'm in Northern Utah, Zone 4.

Thanks in advance - Blair