You can use Cinnamon or powdered Cloves in the pots to discourage them, just sprinkle it on top and water it in. I really don't think it will be a problem unless you plan on taking them in the house. I was told that also works for fungus gnats.

I got a real reminder about pests in pots last summer. I was reusing some one gallon plastic pots with drain holes around the bottom of the sides of the pots. Some yellow jackets, a type of hornet decided it was a good place to live. I went to move the pot and was surrounded by about 30 really p'd off hornets. I was fortunate not to be stung, and while I am not allergic, that could have possibly been a deadly mistake for someone else.

Ants themselves don't usually damage the plants, in fact they are Stephania's favorite pollinators, but the problem is that they can bring mealybugs with them, or scale too. They live off of the sticky honeydew that these other insects produce, so they will actually "farm" them like livestock, and carry them around with them. Often when you have an infestation you'll see what appear to be clusters of dirt, particularly up around an inflorescence such as an Aechmea, and when you try to clean it off you find that underneath are clusters of mealybugs and ants. Other times they'll be right out in the open, usually on the underside of the leaf.

I've never heard the cinnamon or cloves cures, might be worth trying, but I spray them with an insecticidal soap, which is non-toxic to humans.

Rain causes the ants to go to the highest dry ground...easy way to run them out of pots is water the plant well and set it in a pan on water for 12 or so hours..the ants will move out

im not shore of the effect but we had some bull ants that made home arround one of my calistemans i got annoyed with them so i when and got the mortean and sprayed them and also sprayed it down the hole once i did that i closed the entranse off now they have never come back yipi

Hiya Sunshine

You can buy a natural product from IGA in QLD called Killyptus. Spray broms and any where you see Ants, gardens, inside & outside the home, plants, car, boat etc, safe to spray on your animals too for fleas, but not safe to spray around fish, also great inside & outside the home for spiders and cochroaches.

I swear by this stuff, have been using it for around 3 years, only thing that would work with the million and one Ants I had when purchasing this home 18 months ago.

If you are unable to purchase the above in your area, contact me and I'll be happy to get some for you.

Thanks KiwinozO I will get some and use it around the yard also. We have ants by the millions at the moment.
I know they go to high ground when much rain is expected but I was a bit worried when they started carrying their eggs up into my pull out cloths line pole.