Ok everyone it's been freezing at night and the ants are migrating to the heat. I noticed trails of them everywhere today in the greenhouse. I also noticed that a few potted trees had thousands in the soil. They look like they are carrying something. They are everywhere and I need the big guns as Im not organic. Any tips?

This is the only thing that has ever really worked for me.  I put it into plastic snuff cans and set them out with a cup over it with spacers so ants can get access but bees can't.

http://www.stacymakescents.com/homemade-ant-bait

Don't expect them to disappear overnight but one day you just won't see any ants.  

Talstar PL granular, It's not a poison but rather a neurotoxin. Spread it, water it lightly and they're gone. You can put some in the pots as it's not systemic, in other words it won't be taken up by the plant. It's been my only defense against fire ants which are a threat to my wife's life. It has no strong odor and it looks like sand. It's easily spread using a hand spreader or just tossing it out using your dry hand. I purchase mine from the feed and seed or my exterminator for 1 dollar a pound. It comes in 25 or 40 pounds. A 25 pound bag will spread to cover my whole 1/3 acre yard. I use it twice yearly, as it is suppose to work up to 7 months per application. It is also quick, no need to get the workers to move it to the nest. Spread a handful on a nest, sprinkle some water on it and it's gone in a matte of hours, not moved but all dead. Good luck.
"gene"

I might add that it is safe around your pets and children.

Hey Gene where can you buy the Talstar PL granular ???

I buy a 40 pound bag from my local feed and seed for $38. If they're out I get 25 pound bags from my exterminator for $25 dollars.
"gene"

They won't sell it here without a pesticide applicators license.  It's extremely toxic to aquatic life.  Probably kills earthworms too.  

I spray this around my house and in my greenhouse every Spring and no ants Guaranteed



     

I take a bottle cut the top invert it and put it back inside with the cap removed and fill with soda it always works, just looks unsightly after awhile when the ants gather up in the soda.

An anteater and his assistants,

                  

You Can take a small mouth canning jar fill half full will sugar water then take cooking oil and wipe inside the jar below the neck the ants can get in but can't get out and it leaves the scent trail that the other ant leave so other will follow Ta DA safe around pets and kids

 Oh P S if you have a mound or nest fix the jar up take a stick stir the ant mound up piss them off set the jar in or by the mound and watch out !!!!!! Let the fireworks begin

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Terro-Liquid-Ant-Killer-Bait-Stations-6-Pack-T300/202532940

Search Borox on the internet. Available at an Ace Hardware. Wife used it this past spring in our kitchen- ants by the hundreds. Driven inside due to severe rains. Worked well!

Thank you to all of your suggestions

Hi brianm,
First check your pots for nests of ants inside. I had a pot where they were too active, like they had their nest inside. I keep it for half an hour in a bucket of water and removed it.
Then take lime and put around the openings like windows and door.
I used "extinct" lime this year and it really took care of the ants.
You can still find some ants that will come from the neighborhood, but it really helps.
And by the way, lime is rich in Calcium and can be used by the trees, so you can even sprinkle some on the dirt of your pots.  I did sprinkle some and white wash the trunks with the lime to avoid ants climbing on the trees - it worked too .

+1 more for borax.

We've had really bad problems with ants these past 2 years. So far the best way we've been able to take care of them without going the actual pesticide route, is with terro liquid ant killer which is a borax based ant killer. We have a bunch of pets, ducks, and don't really want to kill our lizard, frog, and other native critter populations which I witnessed at a friend's house who used a pesticide. It was several years before the non-ant wildlife returned to their yard.

Funny, the torro prefilled baits don't work at all for us and they use the same chemical in them. We usually take a piece of cardboard or aluminum foil and make a little puddle of the borax liquid. Best place is to find a commonly used path and put it right in the middle, or right next to it. Once they ants find it, it's usually a feeding frenzy for a few days, and the ants dissipate down to nothing over the course of about a week or two.

CharlieC:  Love the pics!  Good one!