[veg-grower]

I have read the other message on ants and am in two minds.

i do not like the idea of killing anything but have found an ants nest in my greenhouse and its huge.


is it possible to coexist with ants or do you suggest i should kill them

i am hoping to refloor the greenhouse with paving slabs and thought this would hide the problem will they die over winter?

sarah :?

[mellowmick]

They do tend to have a mutually beneficial relationship with aphids, including carrying the aphids to suitable food, which would never be good in a greenhouse. Also, they develop flying adults this time of year as part of the breeding cycle and fly off, much like bees, to set up new colonies. Therefore, any time now, perpare to find your greenhouse full of big flying ants.
They will settle down over winter, but probably re-emerge next year.

[Oliver]

ants .... carrying the aphids to suitable food, which would never be good in a greenhouse

Heartily agree with Mellowmick. Ants are bad news in a greenhouse. Also, they LOVE to live under paving slabs - warm and moist - ideal for making more ants. Their advice: get rid of the ants now. they won't die in the winter.

So, when they find ants nests in the plot they expose the eggs and the blackbirds and robins come and eat them. You either have healthy crops or ants and aphids and a problem.
Aphids make honeydew which the ants farm and collect, a lot of the honeydew falls on leaves of things below and this is colonised by sotty mould (black sotty stuff which kills leaves. Dead leaves=poorly nourished plant=?dead plant)

(On our plot they infest the broadbeans, runner beans, cornflowers and nasturtiums.
In the greenhouse they would like to infest the aubergines and peppers if they got a chance.
In the garden they infest the eldertree - which made honeydew on her bonsai trees, or the hawthorn under which the car likes to be parked. Honeydew all over the car=he very mad. Moves car=hot car).
Ho hum. All part of life's rich tapestry.

[Beanzie]

I have been bothered with ants in the greenhouse for several years. They seem to prefer the dryish areas under my central slab path. This year however I have covered my greenhouse floor with weed membrane including my slabbed path and this seems to have discouraged the ants. I also try to keep the membrane watered as a further deterrent.