Anyone who views red ants as pests in the garden is ignoring their beneficial contribution to maintaining ecological balance. Therefore, the gifted nest builders and brilliant survival artists are under strict protection. However, you are not forced to share your garden with the rest of the community. We would be happy to explain to you how you can recognize the rare ant species and use a gentle method to convince you of an alternative place to live.
How to relocate red ants in the garden?
Answer: To relocate red ants in the garden, place several flower pots padded with wood shavings upside down on their paths. The ants will accept the new nest, after which you can carefully lift the pot with a spade and carry it to a coniferous or mixed forest.
Characteristic features enable unequivocal identification
The red ant doesn't get its name by chance. Their body is predominantly red in color. Only the head and legs have dark, black-brown spots. It differs from other wood ants by its noticeable hair on the chest and underside of the head. The workers are 4.5 to 9.0 millimeters long. Queens and males reach a body length of up to 11 millimeters.
If red ants choose your garden as their residence, you will now have a sparkling clean green kingdom. The omnivores eat whatever they can get their hands on, from scale insects to larvae and mice.
However, two characteristics make red wood ants very unpopular. The insects have powerful mouthparts with which they can deliver painful bites. In addition, their structure can reach monumental dimensions of up to 3 meters high.
Relocating ants with the flower pot trick – this is how it works
If you have discovered red ants in the garden in time thanks to their striking body color, you can easily relocate the colony in accordance with the Endangered Species Protection Act. This is how it works:
- Pad several flower pots with wood wool
- Place the pots upside down in different places on the walkways
The wood ants cannot resist this tempting accommodation and move their nest into one of the pots. Once the move is complete, slide a spade under the pot and carry it to a place in the coniferous or mixed forest.
Tip
Red ants avoid proximity to people. In contrast, the black ant (Lasius niger) has fewer scruples about cheekily building its nests under the paving of terraces or garden paths and turning them into dangerous tripping hazards. By using special joint sand during installation, such as Dansand Top Lock, you can effectively prevent colonization by ants in advance.
In this article you will find out which specific measures help to combat ants.