Bloody ants

[OrlandaFuriosa]

yes, I know they are more than useful and essential.

But my lawn is covered in ant heaps, from between 3" to 2" in diameter. They are the little red biting monsters.

I have tried separately and combinations of

Boiling water
Raking
Ant powder
Traps
Nematodes.

Please, green fingered MNrs, what do I do? I want to be able to use the lawn, cut it, sit on it.. I do not want decking. Nor artificial grass. I want lawn. Not thousands of little red biting monsters and mud and hills.

2"? No, 2'.

RHS says

Control

Non-chemical controlUnless nests are particularly troublesome, ants are best left alone. If a colony is destroyed it is likely that its place will be taken by in-coming queen ants, which take over the territory and establisheven more new nestsDisperse ant heaps on lawns by brushing the excavated soil on a dry day before the lawn is mown, otherwise the soil will get smeared on the lawn surface by the mowerIf the lawn has an uneven surface due to years of ant activity, peel back the turf in the raised areas, remove excess soil and relay the turf. This is easier to do in the winter when ants are less activeA pathogenic nematode,Steinernema feltiae, is available from some mail order suppliers ofbiological controlsfor treating ant nests in lawns and flower beds. The microscopic, worm-like nematodes are watered into the soil in places where ants are bringing soil up onto the surfaceChemical controlMany proprietary ant powders, baits, sprays and aerosols are available for controlling ants in and near buildings, but these are not suitable for general garden use or application on plantsTo make a real impression on ant numbers it would be necessary to destroy the nests rather than just the foraging ants. That is difficult to achieve as ant nests occupy a much larger volume of soil than the surface excavations might suggest. In most situations it is best to tolerate the presence of ants

Fares key, thanks v much, sorry not to respond before, been in holiday.

Sigh. The ants nests are huge. I have lots of small godchildren who live in no -garden flats and I want to use the grass. I think it's going to be rake, nematode, returf if I get money. Will mean serious excavation.

• Farsley, sorry.