Black Garden Ant Lasius niger

The black garden ant, or Lasius niger, is a common pest. Its nests can be found in many gardens throughout the United Kingdom. Adult worker ants are approximately 5mm in length, while Queen ants are significantly more giant.

Garden ants can be a nuisance due to their tendency to locate and eat sugary foods, such as strawberries. Furthermore, on occasion, the ants may explore their local surroundings, causing them to enter the household itself.
For keen gardeners trying to maintain a visually-pleasing garden, the presence of black garden ant nests can disrupt the process of lawn mowing and serve as an unwanted eyesore due to their unmistakable appearance. Although they rarely cause significant damage to plants, gardeners with low-growing plants may also find that the nest partially obscures or buries them.
Lasius niger colonies average around 5,000 ants but can reach sizes of up to 15,000 ants. Large colonies may lead to swarming.
To remove this pest, professional pest control is recommended. However, removal using home-based pest control methods is difficult due to the complex underground nature of an ant colony. Additionally, many commercial products are intended for indoor use only, meaning that they do not get to the core of the problem.