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.

@medianewbie The aphids exude a sweet liquid that ants love. The ants find little collections of aphids and stroke them to get the syrup flowing, which the ants take back to the nest. They don't kill them

I never kill anything in the garden, but we have an ant infestation in the kitchen at the moment so I’ve put down some ant powder and feel absolutely horrendous about it (I’m a vegan so maybe it affects me more). But I have two crawling children so can’t have them eating ants or risk them being on surfaces/ around DC food etc

I wish they’d just stay outside!!!

@bornintheuk2 thank you ! (every day is a school day, huh). I'd not kill ants but I'd prefer ladybirds as they eat aphids, don't they? (suddenly wondering if I know anything about insects :)

You need ladybird larvae to eat aphids, adults will fly away. Aphids will attack the larvae though, so you need a lot of them. I buy them every year, and lacewings.

Look for green gardening online if you want to find out more about not killing living creatures with poisons and painful deaths.

Put a line of lemon juice along the entrance to where they are coming in, they don't cross it, at least I have know it to happen. If it's a small hole, fill it when they have gone.