Dealing with ant issues

Gardeners have been given a number of tips on how to deal with ant infestations in their green space.

Sector commentator Jane Perrone writes in her personal blog that she had an eco-gardening wormery that became infested with the insects.

Ms Perrone suggests that gardeners with a similar problem should place the containers legs in containers of water, noting that they should be kept free of debris to prevent the ants from having anything to walk across.

She says that fellow gardener Allan Shepherd recommends lemon juice, lemon-scented oil, talcum powder and eucalyptus oil as potential ant deterrents.

Ms Peronne notes that boiling water can be used to tackle infestations "provided you dont mind a few hundred tiny deaths on your conscience".

She notes that this kills the grass as well as the ants, but that the foliage will grow back quickly.

The BBCs Gardeners World site suggests that horticulturalists can keep ants off greenhouse benches by standing the legs on a block of wood in a container of water.