Ants

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joan

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Ants
« on: May 03, 2006, 21:43 »
Went down the plot today to find ants have started to build a nest in my compost bin. We've had loads of problems at home but do i need to worry about them and if so what do you suggest!
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John

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Ants
« Reply #1 on: May 04, 2006, 08:51 »
Whenever people talk of ants I think of a film that scared me witless as a child about army ants eating people alive in South America. However, I don't suppose that's likely on an allotment.

If they are red ants , I would be tempted to get rid of them as they bite but I'm not sure they will do any harm as such in a compost heap. I would have thought turning the heap will get rid of them anyway.

The only problem I've really noticed with ants has been in the back garden where they 'farm' aphids on the roses. The aphids being the primary problem and the ants just helping them along.
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Rhuby

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ants
« Reply #2 on: May 24, 2006, 20:05 »
I seem to have alot of ants hanging around my caulis and bean stems, which means that there is a gap around the stem in the ground. I do keep firming the earth, just wondered if this is normal or do I need to get rid of the ants?
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stompy

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Ants
« Reply #3 on: May 24, 2006, 20:20 »
I had about 20 individual nests on my new plot. :evil:

Wilkinsons ant destroyer killed the lot. :lol:

You dont have to get the nest, just around where it is, the ants take it into the nest. 8)

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egg

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Re: Ants
« Reply #4 on: July 15, 2009, 07:53 »
I have just taken some land and have dug into a big ant nest, could I leave them or are they a pest?
How can you tell if they are red ants ( please dont say colour!) I hate to use anything serious as I would want to plant in that area. Do they have any benefits to me? ( or just birds, maybe?)

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SMD66

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Re: Ants
« Reply #5 on: July 15, 2009, 09:16 »
red ants are a reddish brown colour rather than dark brown/black - and they bite, and it hurts!  :(  Our Hens wont touch them.
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Flowerpower136

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Re: Ants
« Reply #6 on: July 18, 2009, 12:14 »
Only kill them if they are causing you a problem.  I don't mind them in the garden, but will get the ant powder out if they appear in the house or greenhouse where I'm working.

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SMD66

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Re: Ants
« Reply #7 on: July 18, 2009, 18:28 »
I leave ants alone when they are outside too.  We do get them in the house though, the black harmless ones, I find we have less of a problem  if I put down ant bait in February.  It's the sort they take back to the nest and it kills the colony, I do it so early to catch the 1st ones who come out on sunny days looking for food.  Before I realised this we somethimes used to get swarms of big fat flying ants on the windows,  YUK.

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Trillium

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Re: Ants
« Reply #8 on: July 19, 2009, 01:45 »
Personally, I'd rather the ants made colonies where I don't have lawns and gardens. That leaves loads of room for both of us. An easy cure is to simply dig into the nest and turn that spade full over to one side. They'll scramble to rescue eggs and such and move on...hopefully in the direction you want. If not. leave bait in a container that birds, bees and children can't access - mix borax powder with sugar as bait. It'll take time but it is effective.

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FCG

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Re: Ants
« Reply #9 on: July 19, 2009, 23:20 »
I've got an ant nest in my compost heap hidden on the field. Got two courgettes in the heap and they are going great... seems like the ants are not a problem to the heap or courgettes. Looks like they'll be warm over winter. Do you think they could be beneficial over a long period of time?


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Trillium

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Re: Ants
« Reply #10 on: July 20, 2009, 01:42 »
There's probably enough space in the compost for the ants to not care about your courgette roots. Ants rarely bother with live plants, just farming aphids in fruit trees for the honeydew the aphids make. However, by leaving them in the compost you risk the nest growing to immense size and turning into a major headache if you 'trespass' their colony.



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