those are carrying eggs.. someone dug them up

how come you dont know what happened???

more facts please

are the raised beds for veggies.. or just flowers??? remedies will be dependent on such...

ken

@Ken: No digging. In that specific case, I poured coffee grounds around the perimeter of the raised beds and they all started running. But they also do that if you bump the side of the raised beds.

And in the case of the photo, those are veggies.

But like I said, we have ants EVERYWHERE in our yard, around our pool, etc. This isn't relegated to just our raised beds...that's just where I've been able to find them concentrated.

Do you have fire ants where you are?

@rhizo_1: They exist here in Alabama, but I haven't seen them around our house.

Are you sure that these are NOT fire ants? You're description certainly fits their behavior. I'm in Northern Alabama and have to keep a close eye for fire ants in our perennial beds.

@rhizo_1: I feel pretty sure they're not. They aren't red and as far as I can tell, they don't bite. I've had them crawling all over my feet/ankles on multiple occasions and never been bitten.

But again, they also aren't _just_ in the beds. They're all around our house...up and down the driveway, around the pool, etc.

I live in AL too. I have had the same experience with the raised beds we just built and planted (vegetable garden). They are not fire ants. I also find them in my flower beds, front yard, under planters, etc. It seems like they are everywhere on our property! I don't know what to use to get rid of them either. I have spot sprayed along the edges of the raised beds with Safer Insecticidal Soap. I know this doesn't solve the bigger problem, but makes me feel better to get a few! :) I also tried cornmeal, which is supposed to expand in their stomachs and kill them & mint, which is supposed to deter them, but not to any real success. Any other suggestions?

Raised beds are prime territory for ant housing developments -- loose soil, easy to dig in, and drains well.

By the way -- they're carrying their pupae, not their eggs.

you all might want to talk to your county extension office ..

pupae.. eggs.. whatever .. lol ...

ken

Many people buy into the myth that corn meal, or grits, fed to ants would swell up in the stomachs of the ants and cause them to explode. Does not happen and is usually a waste of that corn meal.
Try to determine why the ants are nesting there, and, if possible, correct the conditions that makes that a nice place to nest and they will leave.

shpigford, I second ken's suggestion to call your local extension office. Hopefully, you might get some helpful advice.

So, these are smallish black ants?

@rhizo_1: Correct, smallish black ants that, in the past 2 years of having them all around our yard and crawling all over my ankles/feet, I've never been bitten.

I am getting ants like crazy to this year. I have found that my same home made cockroach killer works to kill the ants very well. It is a 50/50 mix of boric acid powder from the pharmacy and powdered sugar. Boric acid is highly toxic to insects and less to humans, in fact it is sold at the pharmacy as an eye flush, still, you will want to keep it away from pets

Boric Acid is a potent poison to humans and needs to be handled with great care. Simply because, in very dilute quantities, it is in eye washes does not negate its potential to poison you.

Here is a link that might be useful: Boric Acid

There is no need to purchase expensive pharmaceutical grade boric acid for pest control. The household pesticide sold (for years) as Roach Prufe (not my spelling, lol) can be found in home improvement stores, hardware stores, garden centers, and probably your local grocery!

You can also purchase Terro liquid bait stations. These handy little things are prefilled with a sweet, boric acid laced liquid that all sweet eating ants go nuts for. It might be worth trying a few of these just to see what happens.

When using one of these little stations, it's important that you place it where pets cannot get to it...but it does need to be in the path of observed ant activity. After you place it, walk away and let it alone until it's empty. That might take just a couple of hours, if you have lots of ants.

Disturbing the ants when you are trying to bait them with something is entirely counter productive. You want them to swarm the bait stations...that means that it's doing the job. It's creepy to see a jillion ants competing to get at the sugary liquid, but the results are amazing.

Terro products can also be found anywhere that pest control items are sold. I've purchased mine at Lowe's or Home Depot.

I wouldn't use that around a vegetable garden though, right? Because they'd take all that stuff back to their nest...which is the vegetable garden for most of these ants.