Put the pot in a bucket outside, fill the bucket with water.

My favourite method is to submerge the pot in water and leave it there for couple of hours. Sure shot way to kill the entire colony. I do this before I bring plants in for the winter.

Outside in the garden I use Terro liguid ant bait. But sometimes, some types of ants, do not take this bait. So I also use peanut butter mixed with borax (1part borax, 3 parts peanut butter). Ants gobble this up and significantly reduces the colonies.

Aromatic oils are at best repellents or may be even an contact irritant or some sort. In India, it is common to use camphor oil to keep various insects at bay. I think Rosemary would have the same effect.

Oops. Jim said the same thing.

Unfortunately I cannot use the water method. The plant in question is a Jade that has been too wet for some time and in danger of developing root rot. Also, since I cut quite a few roots, if I submerge it in water at this point there's a very good chance I'm gonna kill it.

But it's a very good method to remember for next year when I bring plants inside.

I do not think submerging for a couple of hrs is going to do any new damage. You can dry it out using a fan for a few hrs. I would not hesitate to do it myself. Alternatively, you can tease out the remaining dirt using a chop stick and dry it well. Ants do not like to be in a very dry and open area either.

Because you removed the old potting mix, it's extremely likely that whatever ants remain are without their queen(s). Thus, those few remaining workers which might be present will die.

When it comes to ants, roaches, bedbugs and many other crawling insects in and around my home or plants I use FOOD GRADE Diatomaceous Earth. I put a small amount of Diatomaceous Earth in a PUMP sprayer with water, the sprayer must be shaken to keep sprayer from clogging up and I spray it evenly around the house or on plants, once the water evaporates the Diatomaceous Earth goes to work cutting up insects and drying them up. I found that ants won't even walk on this stuff. Once the insects are dead or have moved on you can mist the plants to clean the Diatomaceous Earth from the leaves. It can take 3 days for some insects to die once the Earth is on them other insects like roaches can take a bit longer but they all die. Ants run from the stuff, and I leave it down year round for bedbugs only because I don't trust my neighbors or anyone for that matter not to bring them in from their travels. Food grade Diatomaceous Earth is safe around people and animals (I even take a tablespoon daily in the mornings for, well that is another story). Now if I can find something that really works to get rid of gnats I will be insect free.

I thought at first that this said "Getting rid of ants in your pants!" : )

Imagine putting Diatomaceous Earth or even Borax in your pants. :(

Marcy, pun intended ;)

Jean, might be. But I'm not so sure, there's a large portion of soil I couldn't remove and who knows what's lurking there?

tropicalgranny, I also read about diatomaceous earth, unfortunately I couldn't find it anywhere here.

The borax solution seems to be ok as long as the borax is not applied directly on the plant, but around it. The tiny amounts the ants carry back is not enough to do any harm to the plant.

So I have now laid out the traps and waiting for them to eat up :)

LOL Tropic!!!

Good one Jo!

I LOLED!! :))

Shameless punning, Al. Simply shameless. You and my Mom, you'd get along just fine. ;-)

Sometimes a little bit of mirth helps the medicine go down ...... except there was no medicine in that particular offering. ;-)

Al