I'm happy to relay what has worked well for me.
As far as ants in the garden - that is not solved. I wish! It's probably the same way in Tampa, you don't stand still outside without checking to make sure ants are not crawling up your feet. I pour boiling water when ant hills pop up outside of tended areas (the mowed weeds a/k/a lawn) but not where the good plants are growing. Boiling water is very effective on plants too. In my opinion, it's the best weed killer and sure gets rid of an ant hill too.
