[Anton]

I prepared a patch of ground a couple of weeks ago and left a plastic corrugated sheet over it thinking this might keep the soil damp (the plastic is from our garden shed roof). I was marking out two lines to put in some turnip seed this evening and discovered a whole line writhing with ants rushing around with their eggs. I couldn't find any hole but I went through the the lines with a fork. Are the ants likely to return to that spot or should I take steps to get rid of them (what?) and does it matter that they are there?

Anton

[Trillium]

I've had more than my fair share dealing with ants and yes, they will damage surrounding crops if left. Mostly, it's their underground nest which is large and sucks soil dry and damages roots they'll disturb as they dig. And if they're red, they'll bite if you disturb them. Almost nothing organic will kill them, so you'll have to buy a proprietary ant killer product and deal with it. When they scuttle away with eggs, it just means they're moving out of one spot to another, usually close by. I do a lot of stomping when I see that. Then I get the ant killer out. I'm usually a live and let live person, but ants multiply far too quickly and when you're surrounded in ant hills.....