Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi, all this year on my allotment I have had lots of red ants and they love to bit me and they have helped the black bugs survive. How can I get rid of them that is also safe to put around my vegetable plants. Thanks x

Welcome to the forum, Chebbs75..... if you can find where the nests are, boiling water has to be one of the best options......although i think most of the ant powders these days are safe to use, but i would be reading the labels first.
On my plots, i'm exceptionally lucky, as we now have a lot of Green woodpeckers about and these love excavating into ants nests and then eating the young grubs.

Thank you x

I've been attacked & bitten loads as well Chebbs75. I find if you disturb them enough eventually they move. It is like a combat mission though! I note where the nests are - usually by being bitten. I leave it alone until they settle again then go back with the fork, dig it in & turn over the soil as quickly as possible then get out of there pdq! You may have to do it a couple of times, but by this means you can move them to an out of the way area. With any luck the birds will be about to get some eggs as well.

Westi

Thank you Westi will try that

So, have you you tried this out?

Hi,

The red ants at the lotty are certainly getting active now! I do the same as Westi. Disturb the nest, fork it over and run.

Although, I have a love hate relationship with red ants - they love to bite me but they also like to eat the black fly on the broad beans, so I live with them (and respect their bite!)

Pawty

Saw a part of Paul O'Grady dealing with injured and abused 'wild' animals in India on TV last night.

There was a injured 5 stone Boa snake (HUGE!!!) being looked after. Ants were a problem on its wound so the box it was being kept in, outdoors, had doses of Turmeric spread over & around it.

This was said to deter ants.

Interesting Pa!

Turmeric is coming up for all sorts of home remedies, was mucking around last night & it said it deters rabbits as well! Didn't go into detail whether it is the dry processed stuff we get or the real root grated? Big difference I believe, but I have a big bag so will give the little blighters, rabbits first, a taste! They are eating my dahlia tubers in the front flower bed!

Westi wrote:Interesting Pa!

Turmeric is coming up for all sorts of home remedies, was mucking around last night & it said it deters rabbits as well! Didn't go into detail whether it is the dry processed stuff we get or the real root grated? Big difference I believe, but I have a big bag so will give the little blighters, rabbits first, a taste! They are eating my dahlia tubers in the front flower bed!

It was powder they were using to keep the ants away from the snake

Dear Pa Snip, a handy tip to know, but i don't think many of us will have a 5 stone boa on our allotments that needs protecting.

oldherbaceous wrote:Dear Pa Snip, a handy tip to know, but i don't think many of us will have a 5 stone boa on our allotments that needs protecting.

You never know OH, there are so many constrictions placed on allotments by councils these days.
I'm not sure if any of the ladies will have a feather boa or not.

Turmeric goes well with rabbit and chicken and lamb only trouble is it stains the tea towels

And if it doesn't deter them they should be super healthy and nicely seasoned. Dad used to feed our rabbits with herbs as it made them taste more "gamey".