"George" wrote in message
...
We have quite a lot of ants in our garden. I've always thought of them
as benign, and just ignored them. But, earlier this year, a basil was
mysteriously cut off, right at ground level. Now, I see a collard
dying, with a great activity of small black ants right at the base of
the stem. It looks like they're attacking the plant.

Do ants do this? Is there a way to control them?

Thanks,
George

After verifying after digging, I've found ants to be the cause of grass
dying in drought areas. They are attacking the roots for water. That is,
if sparingly watering such areas during a drought.

If a drought is suspect or anticipated or ongoing in your area, just stop
watering the grass period. The grass will grow dormant quickly if drought
tolerant. The ants will still attack the roots, but won't adequately
support the colony if you stop watering period. Ants, then dig deeper, and
go dormant themselves. The subject ants here are fire ants.

In your case, you can divert ants eating your garden by giving them another
food supply nearby. Then, rid the colony in its entirety by many methods.
Don't attempt this in the garden proper. Be smarter than the ants.
--
Dave