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READER’S QUESTION

TO HELP nature, we turned part of our lawn into a small hay meadow. The wildflowers have come on beautifully, but ants have made bumps, making it hard to mow.

I tried to flatten them down but the red ants bite. What do you suggest?

Rupert Logan, via email.

THAT’S the trouble when you try to help nature — she tends to take over. On traditional farmland, meadows were harrowed annually, flattening ant hills.

If you can tolerate the bumps, your ants aid other creatures, including plants. Red ants infest my little meadow. I do any levelling in late autumn, when the insects are inert. I tried it in late summer once, but ended up with angry, biting red ants in my pants.

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