Lots of ants in fig pot. Advice please

[Sunshineandoranges]

I have an 18 month potted fig plant. I just noticed a lot of ant activity with displaced soil. RHS seems to say leave them alone. Other sites say flood the soil with soap and water. Previously when ants get into pots I have repotted but I don’t want to risk losing the budding fig fruit. Although rhs seem to say ants don’t cause harm I have previously noticed a wilting plant as the sign that ants are in the pot. I am worried that soapy water or using white vinegar and water will harm the fig plant. Any advice gratefully received.

Icing sugar mixed with bicarbonate of soda - will kill the queen.

I always deal with ants in pots having lost a couple of plants that ways. I buy an ant bait station and put it next to the pot, does the trick.

Thanks. My husband has put ant powder around the pot. Will try out the other suggestions if that doesn’t work. I don’t think ant powder always works that well.

I find ant powder is useless. You either need the gel that's hidden inside a trap or an aerosol. I use Raid ant spray inside and out and can vouch for its effectiveness.

Water. It’s a bit dry, so the ants like it. Keep it a bit wetter and they’ll move out.

Please don’t kill them. We need insect life. Just not in your fig pot!

If the pot won’t hold water, it needs repotting to fill the spaces the ants have made.

The ants will be attracted to something, so you need to work out what that is. Often it is the presence of aphids on the plant. Ants farm aphids for their sugary secretions, so get rid of the aphids and the ants might go somewhere else.

Those flat, round ant trap killer things also work, but they need to be kept dry.

Ants don’t like lemon juice (it kills them, and also kills their scent trail).

Why on earth do you want to kill them? They will not hurt your plants and they don't eat figs. They will help you by managing the aphids. If you want to move them to another location just water the pot frequently as they don't like that as pp mentioned but there is no need, just ignore them. Live and let live.

I must have a different ant species to you then. Every plant pot they colonise ends up with a dead plant in it.

Don't kill them. We need insects.

I agree.

Yesterday I noticed there was a lot of displaced soil on the rockery edge (ants building a nest). I tried to wash away the soil in the hope it would get rid of the nest, but by today it was back to exactly the same position.

after much soul searching I've decided to leave them be. It's annoying and I'm hoping they don't end up inside the house, but I didn't have the heart to take more decisive action as I figured they had obviously worked damn hard to reinstate their nest so they had staked their claim on the rockery!

I'm sure your fig will be fine @Sunshineandoranges

That’s because they tunnel the soil away around the roots so the plant can’t absorb water.

They don’t target the plant. If you manage it you can save the ants and the plant.

Lots of information thank you all