Question
hi.
was wondering if you could help we have recently moved into a new property at first we had a really bad ant problem in the house and finally got that sorted but now we have over eight ant nests on our lawn and loads of ant eggs on the surface how do we get rid of them there are millions and my son cant play outside.please help we dont know what to do. thank you.

Answer
I do not know for sure what is available to the homeowner in the UK so I can give only general recommendations. Pyrethroids are very effective in insect control because they are comparatively safe to humans and they quickly break down. Look for the active ingredient on the label; the pyrethroids usually end in "-thrin" eg Allethrin, Deltamethrin etc. You have to make sure that the chemical contacts the insect; there is no merit in applying these chemicals as a preventive measure. There are bait formulations which are very effective against outdoor ants. One such product in the USA is "Amdro" (hydramethylnon is the a.i.). When using baits outdoors it is essential that the material must not be placed directly on the nest. The ants might treat it as garbage, especially if it starts to ferment. Treat the surrounding area and the ants will pick it up and take it into the nest.
Hope that this helps.