Ants

[ideasguy]

My garden is absolutely infested with the things. Usually they make their nests at the edge beside the tarmac. This year they are more widespread.
Is it the mild winters that has allowed them to multiply?

As I weed on my knees, they have an amazing ability to get up my sleeves and up my trouser legs. Their nips are painful

[Palustris]

Ouch. We have a lot of the very tiny Pharoah ants which do not bite. They must be under the house itself as we find them in the cat's room and they can olny get there from under the floor.
I use my flame gun on the nests in the garden. Naughty I know, but they are such a nuisance.

[ideasguy]

My little darlings certainly do bite, and the pain lasts for an hour or two.

I just leave them alone and watch for them getting onto my hands and swish them off my clothes.
From what I find online I think mine are Fire ants.

 

[ideasguy]

2023  and this year the Ant population has definitely multiplied!

Gardening is downright unpleasant for people (like me) who have to get down on hands and knees to weed a HIGH maintenance garden with many flower borders and beds.
They have an amazing ability to get over my hands and arms (if not spotted in time) in no time!
The ones that get up the inside of arms and leg clothing are vicious!

It used to be they preferred the edges very close to tarmac and under bigger stones on the surface. This year they appear randomly everywhere.
I couldn't believe it when I dug my first stalk of potatoes this year and there they were, teeming all over the freshly dug soil.

Roll up the sleeves for protection and get on with it!