Hi There:

Anyone know what the heck these are. They were all over my Trug planter this morning, and they were also in the soil. They sort of look like ants and some have wings, maybe termites! I hit them with a heavy stream of water from the hose and then near boiling water (that did the job),cooked those puppies - there are still a few but not near as many.

They look like ants to me.

I agree. I don't have a clue what kind of ant though.

A quick rule of thumb...ants have a waist, termites do not. Those may be carpenter ants, Camponotus species.

Yes, I agree that they were ants. This is how I got rid, after my initial hot water, which killed many but not all by any means. I mixed equal parts of baking soda and sugar and sprinkled it on both sides of my Trug were there was the most activity. Than I sprinkled a little bit of cinnamon around the entire bed (not a lot, just a dusting) and I swear, they were gone! It's amazing when you can use everyday none pesticide things in the garden