Ants nest

[Pinkywoo]

We have an ants nest under the patio that is there every summer, however this year I have a toddler who wants to play out there. Is there a child safe way of getting rid of the pesky little blighters?

Get an ant stop bait station. Put it next to the nest. Leave a few days (don’t let child near it). Should do the trick.

Thanks, keeping the child away could be difficult as you have to cross the nest to get to the rest of the garden though, I was hoping for a non toxic solution but maybe there isn't one.

You could try nematodes, which are a natural parasite. I haven't used them for ants but have found them effective against slugs.

Nematodes

Ooh I've used nematodes for vine weevil but didn't know they worked on ants, I'll look into that!

We have a similar problem behind where we keep our brown bin on the drive at the front of the house. We pour a kettle of boiling water onto it. Always does the trick (though they do return the next year!)

Why not leave them alone, they do no harm and, in fact, are very beneficial and, like all social insects, are fascinating to watch and study.

Why does everything, but everything which might just be a vague nuisance, have to be destroyed? Ants, along with many other species, were here long before Homo sapiens, and will be here long after we have, hopefully, disappeared. Then they can be left in peace to continue their harmless lives.

Unless they are red ants they shouldn’t bother your child

I used boiling water when the children were small ant bites are painful

Why not leave them alone, they do no harm and, in fact, are very beneficial and, like all social insects, are fascinating to watch and study.

True, but actually ants are very difficult to get rid of, but it doesn't hurt to encourage them to build a nest elsewhere in the garden.

"Why not leave them alone, they do no harm and, in fact, are very beneficial and, like all social insects, are fascinating to watch and study."

Because they're digging out all the sand from under the patio and making the slabs unstable, it must be a pretty big nest.

Different species of nematode. 30,000 species have been identified but it’s estimated that there are over-a million in total.

I love nematodes, my particular favourite is freaking DH out when he asks what the little package in the fridge is!

Not to hijack but I had a tree chopped down with stump ground down and have had a wooden cabin built almost on top of it with concrete base. Seen a plenty of ants going along the base and a few inside.. Could they eat/damage my wood cabin or am I overreacting. I hear they like to nest in rotting tree roots which can take 20 years to rot away.

I hate killing any creature but unfortunately they marched into my house the past 2 years on countertops. I sealed all apertures and still there was the morning march. If you get some jar lids and put a mixture of icing sugar and baking soda into them, they carry both back to the nest as the particle size is the same and horribly I know they die. Place these out of light however.

Ant bair stations are the best I've found so far - effective, clean, works quickly and safe for pets and children.

I only ever use it for nests causing problems but still always feel guilty though, I like ants.

Have never heard of nematodes, are they kinder to the ants?