You are all so kind to the ants. I, on the other hand, pour boiling water into the mounds if they are in a place I don't want them. If they aren't hurting things in my garden, I leave them alone.
I use a funnel to direct the boiling water specifically into the ant colony so that I don't cook my plants in the process. Occasionally I dig up a plant or two, treat the colony, then replant after.
