Sheila and I met at the Parade of Homes Tour on the west side of Lethbridge, Alberta. Afterwards, she emailed me this question:

Question: “I have the same 2 or 3 anthills in my back yard for a few years. I have tried boiling water, baking soda & borax, vinegar & mixing one anthill with the other anthill. The last suggestion was thought to be the fix, but alas they are still with me. What can you suggest? HELP??” – SHEILA

Answer: Dear Sheila –
I am not sure about ants.  I used to give people definite ideas and definite solutions. As I learn more about ants, I realize they are more innovative than we are. They even install food tasters outside their homes so the queen never eats bad food nor gets poisoned.

My perception of ants has changed. I no longer try to eliminate them. Now they only bother me when they eat the roots and devastate the plants. For plant-killing ants, I dig up as much of the plant as I can and replace the dead plant and soil. I know the queen is down so deep I will never be able to kill or get to her with boiling water.

Like you I have tried everything  – even leaving entire (reportedly poisonous) rhubarb leaves on anthills and leaving a sprinkling of cornmeal and cream of wheat on the hills (these are supposed to bloat and kill ants, but of course it didn’t work with my ants.) When I spoke recently in Medicine Hat one of the audience members suggested I try Baking Soda – and that is something I haven’t tried yet but she swore by it so its worth a try.

I have to say I have not had a problem or seen any hills lately but I am definitely not saying it is because I have conquered the ants because I still see a lot of individuals of different kinds wandering through my yard. I am only saying we have learned to live together and when something is working so well I just hold my breath and hope my luck holds. Maybe they have built a really big hill under my home and my house will pop off the foundation soon. Or maybe it is because I am more actively gardening and I hand water as often as I can. Where I can’t water as much I put down deep layers of chipped wood waste to hold the moisture. Ants almost always prefer a really dry abandoned site. Moist soil is a negative in their world. Hope this helps! – DONNA