Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi All,

New to "grow-your-own" gardening this year and have been trying to compost using one of the black plastic bin type composters. When I look in the bin now I have a huge ants nest taking over most of the bin. What do I do about the ants and the ants nest? Destroy the nest? The nest is massive and has almost taken over the composter. I realise the ants are working for me but I'm worried about transferring them to the plot. Surely I don't want to be adding ants or the nest to the veg plots?

Many thanks in advance for any help/ suggestions.

Lee

Hello Lee. Welcome to the forum!
Wow, that must be one hell of an ants nest! I'm not really sure what to advise but I wouldn't want to spread the ants onto my plot. When we took on our allotment six years ago, it had been unworked for four years and was teeming with ants nests. We reluctantly destroyed them by digging them out, as the ants extensive tunnelling can play havoc with plant root systems. On the part where we made our brassica bed, we hadn't totally got rid of them and the Brussel Sprout plants didn't do very well and ended up as aphid farms....the ants cultivated them which resulted in sooty mould growth on the plants from the excreted honey dew. The sprouts were useless.

Ants don't like disturbance and will usually move their nests and all their eggs/grubs to a safer place, so I would think your only course of action would be to give your compost bin a good old digging, if you can access it and destroy the nest. I don't like doing this really but needs must and all that. I do like ants...they're fascinating creatures but not when they make their nests in an inconvenient place!

Be careful you don't get covered in ants though...some of 'em can give nasty nips!
Good luck and let us know what happens.
Cheers.

Hi Lee,
A hearty welcome fro me to.
I suspect that your compost bin may be on the dry side. If it is a good dowsing with water should get rid of the Ants.
JB.

Hi Elaine and JohnBoy, thanks for the kind regards and the replies!

Will try wetting the bin and turning it it over I think. Will keep you all posted.
Thanks again,
Lee

Hi,

Just a little feedback for all that helped and read this topic. I watered the compost and turned it over. Ants have all gone.

[In fact, to be honest, I think they may have already left before I did that as the weather became damper at the start of autumn. My real problem and the largest ant nest was during the summer months when I obviously wasn't keeping an eye on the moisture levels.]

Thanks again all,

Lee