Gabriella,

there's an ongoing thread discussion concerning biting ants and coincidentally this is occuring with someone from Alberta too. Check it out for some suggestions. Are you near any forested areas? Are these ants 'foreign' to your area? If so, it might be time to report it to the environmental agencies.

Do what you can to keep the place moist and that means adding more compost made of leaf mould or other moisture retentive product.

Hey I'm the other one with the ant problem. Apparently according to my local garden center, they are really bad everywhere this year. Check out the "ants ants everywhere thread!!

I mix borox and icing sugar and then sprinkle over the ant area. Seems to work. They are really baaaaaaaad here too in Winnipeg.
inanda

Yep, there's an increase here in Nova Scotia too.

It might take a bit to find the nest, but I find it worthwhile. I get my DD and DH to help out and we start looking. If we spot an ant carrying something, it's likely going to the nest. That's the one to follow. Ants not carrying anything are likely moving away from the nest so don't bother with them.

Once you find the nest, if it's an area you're not going to bother with, pour boiling water on it, or just apply the D Earth all over it. Keep in mind that if some ants survive, they will go and establish a colony elsewhere so you are going to have to be vigilant.

We have a log home and have seen a major increase this year in the red/black ants and the Carpenter Ants. The Carpenter ants are the ones which worry us the most! We are doing major ant hunts around the house this year. Anything located in the compost pile or the meadow or simply away from the house we leave alone since we don't want them to get any closer.

Tiffy;
Do you know what kind of ants these red and black ones are?
I do not seem to have much luck using daitomaceous earth.
Maybe I don't use enough?
I think I may be somewhat sucsessful with the raid drops as there does seem to be a decline in numbers.
but they are still all over this year. :(
Gabriella

I'm having the same problem... I use boiling water on the nests when I find them but it doesn't seem to get rid of them.. I can't use the borax and sugar because I have two little dogs.. I've been finding that Sevin which you can buy at the stores is working best... it's a powder you just sprinkle either on their nest or on their path... They are also taking over my new garden shed.... buggers..

I actually have had some luck with those raid drops; the bottle says kills the colony in 7 days...
not true but after about 2 weeks there were far less ants.
I do use borax for my concrete ants in the front side walk; I too have a little dog and would not use it where she goes.
Boiling water only makes them go deeper down.
Gabriella

commercial javex ( sodium hypochloride) kills them outright but I only use this product in an area where I don`t intend to plant for at least a year. I have also had good results with the chemical Diazinon, but only remote areas, ie. ant hills at the back of my property and only as a last resort.

Tiffy; I feel for you! Me, I would be flinging off any and all clothing fornt yard or back if I had a bunch on me!!! I know they are nasty, that is why I titled my post as such. Raid drops do help alot now I can work in that flower bed somewhat.
If you use those drops do put it on a chunk of wood though; on plastic it almost hardens like glue and in the dirt it soaks in too fast. Put it on the wood and watch "feeding time".
I used to jokingly say to my husband I better go feed my ants lol, make sure to feed once daily when it is not raining. Good luck with your battle.

Gabriella

I know many people have mentioned using water to get rid of your ants, but I would not suggest that. Here's why:

Yesterday I went to a local park near where I live (eastern Ontario) and what seemed like millions of ants matching your description -- half red & half black biting ants -- have invaded the river bed. They seem to thrive in the water and it did not even deter them when I ran into the river to try and get them off of me. I got bit many times - ouch!

Which brings me to a question (not specifically garden related, sorry) - does ANYONE know what type/species of ants these are?? I had a bad allergic reaction from the bites and my doctor asked me to research and find out what type of ants they were just to be safe.

Thanks!

I think we are wondering the same thing. I tried getting info on the net but they all look the same, sombody would have to send samples to some bug peoples somewhere.

I was cleaning up my yard when I looked under this rock there was a whole bunch of ant eggs and red and black ants feasting on a worm GROSS! So Iput some bleach on them,that got rid of them.

dennise

I believe the ants you are experiencing are Allegheny mound ants. They are taking over, could use them as groundcover here in southern interior BC.
Here is a link to help identify:
www.pestproducts.com/alleghenyant.htm

Those ants that you are describing sound like Formica pergandei ants. They are actually slave maker ants that thrive up north. They got the name slave maker ants because they raid the nests of other ants and take back the eggs as slaves. Let me know if this is what they look like:

http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20o?search=Formica+pergandei

You may want to check this website/blog where you can ask questions. Perhaps someone there has the answer as to how to get rid of them...

http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:_NtCC9i1xU8J:myrmecos.wordpress.com/2008/04/16/grooming-or-aggression/+Formica+pergandei+ant&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=9&gl=ca

TERRO. Got rid of the whole ant colony. Use as bait until you stop seeing ants. Might take a few months but don't give up. Did a miracle at our home!
Peggy

RED AND BLACK ANTS IN MY HOUSE I SEE THEM EVERYWHERE NOT MANY BUT ONE HERE AND THERE WHAT THE HECK DO I DO ??

I have been seeing the numbers of these ants multiply quickly this year so I watched them for a few minutes. They where crawling up the outside wall of the concrete apartment building I live in so I thought I would try something. I got my bottle of Ortho ant B gone Max and sprayed it in the hole between the bricks they were going and into, the nest holes along the side of the building they were coming out of and to my surprise there have not been any for the last 2 days not even in the larger part of the grassy area outside my door, where sometimes it looked like there was no grass at all just ants. I am still however seeing them in my apartment but one here and one there. they have not been bad inside at all just wish I could find where they are coming from and do something about it, not sure what to do with pets around so getting the pest control in is the last resort.
But I suggest if you are having problems with the little black carpenter ants and have pets I have only seen one or two of there guys after putting cinnamon in the tracks of the windows and spraying vinegar around the outside door (refreshing once a week)which may be a safe way out doors where your pets hang out.
Good luck this year everyone with the ever growing population of our unwanted little friends

In the house, I have used black pepper in the past. With these, it doesn't seem to be working. I did read on another forum that sprinkling powdered laundry detergent around helps, both inside and outside the house. I'm going to give it a try.

I have used borax. I read this on the web somewhere. Yes the laundry detergent.
at your windows and doorways make long thin Borax lines(barriers) Ants crossing over this will carry it home and kill the colony. Works.
Also wood ash works in the garden, it's abrasive. Won't kill the colony but it will slow them down and keep them out of that area.
You can also make borax traps along their paths. Keep them dry and out of pets reach by putting a box over them.

Check out this website for some great pictures of ants and other insects. I think what you may be looking at is formica ulkei. I don't know what the common name is. The pictures are of a really good quality so you should be able to figure out what you have. www.insectsofalberta.com

I'm not sure if any of you are still trying to figure out the ant. If it's the ant in my picture it's called "Cow Killer" and ots actually wasp not an ant.

Eastern Velvet Ant

These lil buggers are everywhere in my garden this year. Researched a bit, they are western thatching ants. Still trying to figure out a good all natural way to rid our property of them. 2 hills found so far. Help!

borax I would say. Also do you know molasses can be both a fertilizer and insect deterrent. Ants do not like their nest moist and if they are around, it means your soil is sandy and dry. Add compost and keep the area moist.

we have the nasty, horrible big red and black ants, in the forest mountains of western north carolina... never used to have these... just in the last several years, have i noticed them, and the last 5 years they have been a problem, and it's only getting worse.

i haven't found any info, on these in my area... but, i think they may be the thatching ants...

major numbers, they have trails that are so busy that they're an inch deep... they will climb up your feet in a second, with just one step- they are aggressive and they bite...

they seem to love moisture, because, this is a temperate rain forest...

they like to build mounds in the corners of our barns and even inside buildings (like in boxes in a shed loft) or they build massive colonies underneath stuff (like a stack of siding we had next to the barn)...

i cannot use poisons, because we have too many animals around... trying to the D-earth...

and using a ozone machine, inside a building to try and kill them (a new nest i just found- argh)

as others have mentioned, they are so numerous and aggressive that i cannot really do much gardening, anymore... it's down right scary and depressing.

i wish i could find more info on them.

Christina, I feel for you and those who endure what apparently is an introduced species. Wayyy up north here, I contend with small black ants that enjoy making their dirt mound nests among the perennials and small shrubs that can be overtaken and killed. Also have aggressive and very eager to bite red ants, I was dealing with some of those the other day as I tucked some annuals along the edge of a rockery. I pulled back a large flat rock to expose the nest and a bit of malathion sent them to sleep. What I deal with is of course nothing in comparison to the invasion down there! We also have carpenter ants eager to chew their way through wood, they'll get under the siding and into the walls and are especially bad if left to eat through anything of log construction.