How do you control ants outside?

[Maru777]

Hello everyone! I have what I admit from the beginning is a bit of a dumb question because my problem is controlling ants on an outside balcony. Also, on a plant that is basically called Myrmecophilla…. But, really, seeing so many ants on it just gives me anxiety - I just got rid of scale that these ants or their evil brethren decided to go farming in the jasmine bush below this very balcony! I don’t want a repeat with this orchid. Especially since it looks like it will be blooming for the first time ever for me and I am very excited about it. They (the ants) seemed to leave them (the orchids) mostly alone until now. But after the spikes started growing they went crazy. I am not sure if maybe the ants just move to greener pastures after I kept on destroying the said scale farming colony below these orchids or they just came over because of the spikes. What do you do with your outside orchids? I am reluctant to spray with anything too chemical because these orchids are outside and there are bees and butterflies too that I do not want to harm. Are there any solutions? Do I just live with them? Move the plants? Some pictures so you can see the scale of the infestation - I’m not talking 1-2 ants, there are a LOT of them.