To our boiling water on ants in the earth around this potted vine?

[PrinceHaz]

I’ve just spotted ants and earth around the base of my vine pot. I was about to our boiling water around the pot then spotted that the ants are all over the earth in the pot. I presume if I pour boiling water on the earth I’ll potentially damage or kill the vine.
Any advice on getting rid of ants but saving the vine greatly appreciated.

Boiling water? Surely better ways to kill something?

Can you get some ant poison traps?
Might be a bit less plant-murdery

Also there's a gardening topic

Thanks all. Will ask in gardening area.

Why do you need to kill ants?

Ant powder, available from any DIY or garden centre.

fork the surface over once they have gone, the birds will finish the job ( and no, the powder doesn’t hurt them, says my blackbirds)

Fucking nerve of these ants living in your garden, whatever next!

Would you like some huge creature to come and poor boiling water on you when you were minding your own business living your life outside?
At least find a humane way to remove them if you have to.

Ant powders are generally pyrethrum based (or derivatives)... so will kill any insects that it comes into contact with.

I'd probably look into a boric acid killer if you want to go the chemical route.

If the weather dries up, I might also try diatomaceous earth, which is basically as harmless as you can get.

Ants are an important part of the ecosystem. They do like somewhere undisturbed, warm and dry and have a habit of moving compost out of pots to make themselves a nice home. Cold/tepid water will encourage them to move out.

Just leave them alone? Why do you want to kill them?

Because once you've got them, they get absolutely everywhere? They are a complete pest and can rapidly take over everything and make your garden unusable.

We use Nippon ant powder which does the job.

Ants might be nesting in the pot, or they might be aphid farming. I'd repot the plant to check.
Ant bait stations contain borax, and are very effective.

If I had to choose between ants or aphids the ants win ever time. They do build huge tunnel-y type nests so pouring boiling water on them will only kill those near the top. By the time the water has soaked through (at best 2" soil) it will be cold

Ant Stop Bait Trap

Will only effect the ants.

We had ants under our front step for years, and they never really bothered us. They didn't take over the garden in any way. I don't get this need to kill everything that has the audacity to try and share the outside world.

Why do you need to kill the ants? Are they red or black/brown ants? Is the problem the pot is indoors?
If it’s indoors put it outside for a while. If it’s outdoors just ignore them. Ants do no harm.

Yes I took this view years ago when I lived in a flat with a lot of ivy around the window. Ants found their way in via cracks in the wooden window frames and to the honey in my cupboards. Despite cleaning all the cupboards of any scrap of food and clearing the ants each day I woke every morning to a black mass of ants crawling all over every surface of my kitchen for weeks afterwards. I so didn't want to be overly ' cruel'

In the end I used an ant killer powder by the window I had my kitchen back . Ants can kill some plants and can eventually take over a garden if not kept in check . Boiling water is not particularly effective though unfortunately

The problem in my garden is that the ants are usually farming the aphids. So I can't get rid of the aphids unless I gey rid of the ants.

Humans... They are a complete pest and can rapidly take over everything and make your garden planet unusable.

Diatomous earth (however you spell it) I've got a tiny garden and three nests one I could live with but not three and not close to the house either im not having them indoors

I'm wondering just how any of these pro ant people have an ant problem 🤔 because they can come and take mine away if they like wee bitey orange things

😂😂😂

Would you like boiling water poured over you?

Ants just spread and spread. I have spent 3 years killing the ones in my garden with Nippon.

Flying ant day used to be crazy.

They are now under control and I use Nippon to push them back. It works pretty well.