Ants are more of a nuisance in the garden then a real problem but they are there because the environment is one they like. Ants nest in soils that are fairly dry, they do not like real moist or wet soils to build nests in. Most all of anything that will control ants are not things that you would want near your food crops, even Boric Acid baits need to be in containers some distance from anything being grown for food. The label on the product should state whether what you have can be used with, or near, food crops.
Figure out why the ants are there and change the conditions that attracted them and they will move on.

Thanks! They are red in color (but like I said, not fire ants.) There are 31 other raised beds in the community and they all have the ants, the same kind. It's not in the mulch, just the bed. I haven't found anything that said it is able to be used in a food garden. I purchased grants ant baits (for outdoor use). They work the same as indoor terro traps. I wasn't sure if they would be trapsing the poison all over my garden and veggies. Thoughts? I also thought of Diatomaceous Earth, but that just for surfaces, and again, it didn't say I could use it in food gardens.

I'm having a similar problem in my raised beds, but with small black ants. When I watered the other day they came pouring out the sides of the beds. Ugh. They are all over my plants, inside the flowers, particularly squash, zuchinni & peppers. I applied Diatomaceous Earth today. Hoping it helps somewhat.

20 Mule Team Borax for laundry detergent. work it into the soil around the base of the tomato and water it well and often.
Too much will kill the plant.

kimmsr is right.
I have the same problem that you do, the soft, fluffy, dry soil is to inviting for any ants.

Diatomaceous Earth is supposedly edible so sprinkling it in the garden shouldn't be a problem.

Instant grits helps eliminate some ants. They eat the grits and then die. Sprinkle some at the opening of the ant hills.

Diamotaceous Earth is in many of the flours that you buy to aid in control of the flour weevils, so you do eat some in foods made form those flours. However, sprinkled in the garden is not going to cause anyone, except those with picah, to eat any since it becomes part of the soil, not the plants growing in that soil.
Grits, and corn meal from which grits are made, do not kill ants anymore then they kill humans. Grits, or corn meal, do not clog the ants digestive system, or swell up inside the ants and cause them to explode.
Boric Acid, mixed into something sweet such as sugar water or honey, in small quantities is an effective ant poison, if one is needed.

Please keep in mind if you use diatomaceous earth do not breathe the dust as it is quite harmful to your lungs. I just use a dust mask.

Help ants ate my potatoes, I didnt even know they were there until harvest time when I took the boards off the sides of the tower, what can I do different next year?

I have not found DE to be of much help in garden beds for controlling ants; a small amount of water negates any benefits. Ants can certainly be a big problem for some plants. They are very destructive on a couple of my potted roses, farming aphids with a vengeance, and disturbing the soil. I usually have good luck with one of the ant baits, either that made for fat or sweet eating ants, but there are some small black ants that mostly ignore both these baits. Unfortunately, the only control of these ants I've found is an ant spray, or a soil application at the entrance to their nest. The ants can ruin some pepper plants by their vigorous aphid farming, and also by the way they produce so many holes in the soil that drainage is so fast that the soil does not wet all the way around the plant. For the potted pepper plants I have even tried soaking the entire pot in water for hours. The ants return soon after the pot is taken out of the water. I used to allow ants in the garden, but my current negative experiences are causing me to have a no tolerance approach for them.
Renais

This post was edited by Renais1 on Mon, Sep 8, 14 at 15:31

I have had red ants in and near my vegetable garden. I made a mixture of grape jelly with ant killer. Fill the jar with water poke holes in the lid and sprinkle around the bed areas and the next day the ants were gone. Careful the jelly may attract other bugs but if they to eat the poisoned jelly and die your bug problem should be solved.

Part of being an organic grower is learning about and knowing the role each insect plays in our environment. Killing any insect, simply because it is there, is not organic.

kimmq is kimmsr

Anyone who has not worked with or around fire ants should not judge others for killing ants.

I have worked around fire ants for 54 years & I get sting all the time.

Killing anything that you do not want in your garden(weeds,flowers,vegetables,animals, insects)is not non-organic, as long as you use organic means to do so.

IMHO, this may be an environmental issues, but all thing environmental (like using a gasoline engine to go to work/play) are part of organic or organic gardening.