Ants carry aphids to your tender plants. Get rid of ants and no aphids.
I put a small amount of ant poison on a cotton ball and put it in one of those plastic spinach boxes add more cotton balls and sugar add water and once in place, cut some holes in the bottom.
In the kitchen I spray their trails with a mixture of water, vinegar and dish soap.
Both work great.
We have Crazy Ants here..................
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paratrechina
They tend to drive out Fire Ants...................
Borax, diatomaceous earth, and silica gel all work too, and have the advantage of not leaving an oily or wet trail. These compounds work because they either clog up the breathing spiracles on the abdomen of the targeted insect, the gut biota is destroyed and they cannot digest fibrous carbohydrates, or the sharp little spikes in diatomaceous earth cut up their tender internal workings.
Works on roaches just as well as ants.
Ants inside the Home is simple and inexpensive. Wherever the little €^%#¥£ SOB’s are make sure the area is DRY then put down some Yellow Corn Meal (not a Mix of white/yellow or corn muffin mix or self rising, they are too fine grained) and give it a day or so. The workers grab it and return to the Queens Palace and feed it to her, the guards/nurses and all the other workers. They eat it and then drink water and the Corn Meal absorbs the water and it expands and their stomach explodes. POOF ! Not toxic and costs way less than poisons.
Been using this for Decades.
Outside the Home. Go to the Hardware Store and get about 6’ of 1/2” Flexible Electric Conduit (also called Greenfield), 2 Conduit to Metal Box connectors (make sure they have the locking nuts) for the Flex Conduit. You will also need a big metal coffee can or a metal 5 gallon bucket.
Take the muffler off the lawnmower. Put the fittings on each end of the Greenfield Conduit. Drill a hole in the bottom of the coffee can to match the threaded end of the connector. Install the fitting in the can with the nut on the inside and tighten. Install the other end to the Muffler location on the Mower. Go to the first ant bed and place the can over the mound. Hold it down with your foot, another person that’s helping you or a big rock or brick. Start the Mower and run for a few minutes. You have just gassed them including the Queen. Repeat on other mounds if needed.
Farmers and Ranchers, Y ‘All can do the Same with the Tractor and up sized Greenfield, fittings and a 55 drum.
Enjoy being ant free. Especially those Damned Fireants !!!
Inside the house I mix one half sugar and one half boric acid powder. Fill plastic bottle caps and set them where you see ants. They take the treated sugar back to their colony, eat it and die. Works great.