Ants and block paving locking sand

[Bankrupt]

Any way to discourage ants from chucking out the locking sand from between block paving ? I'm surprised nobody has invented something to put in the locking sand that would prevent the little blighters from vandalising it...

Should I brush in a mixture of new sand and ant powder ?

 

[Thermo]

its called nature! you could do, but their tunnels will go on and on.

 

[Bankrupt]

its called nature!

I'll defeat nature with unnatural chemicals......

I'm making up a new locking sand mixture that no living creature could survive in...

 

[coldshowerkid]

I had ant problems a few years ago, I run out of ant powder, so grabbed the first form of chemical attack i could find. 'shake and vac' seemed to do the job. I dont know if they left due to the smell or they could not find a vacuum cleaner

 

[JohnD]

Nippon Ant Gel (in a little tube like a miniature toothpaste) is very effective. You drip it onto a piece of metal or other non-absorbant surface, it is sugary and they carry it down to the nest. Keep giving then more until they stop taking it.

I also repointed my pavers with sand and cement which they seem unable to dig out.

 

[Bankrupt]

Nippon Ant Gel (in a little tube like a miniature toothpaste) is very effective. You drip it onto a piece of metal or other non-absorbant surface, it is sugary and they carry it down to the nest. Keep giving then more until they stop taking it.

I also repointed my pavers with sand and cement which they seem unable to dig out.

Thanks for the advice - Do you mean you put in a dry mixture of sand and cement or did you seal the top with a wet cement mix ?

 

[Bankrupt]

I had ant problems a few years ago, I run out of ant powder, so grabbed the first form of chemical attack i could find. 'shake and vac' seemed to do the job. I dont know if they left due to the smell or they could not find a vacuum cleaner

Maybe it was the song you were singing ? - "You do the shake and vac and put the freshness back etc " .

 

[JohnD]

I gave it a strong hosing (this tends to wash the sand out between the bricks, so it is usually a bad thing to do) then opened the joints more with a stiff broom and examined for gaps, then after it was very very dry, brushed a mix of dry fine sand and cement to and fro so it fell into the gaps. This takes some time, as it settles and will run into ant tunnels like an egg timer.

When I was satisfied it was full, I sprayed with water to activate the cement, and kept it damp for over a week (quick drying makes it soft and crumbly)

If I was doing it again, I think I would prefer to take up the bricks and lay them in a drylean mix before vibrating, so there is no loose sand underneath, to make the ants life harder..