ants

[nathan]

hi all.i joined 2day and this is my 1st post.ive recently decided to try and grow our own veg.As i have a young family thought wed all try and be a bit more green.we put up a polytunnel in which we are growing toms,chillies,carrots and lettuce.ive noticed ants around in the soil,and wanted to ask if they will be a problem or can i leave them.any advice would be grt.thanks nathan

[Two_Sheds]

Ants in the garden can be a nuisance, but they rarely damage plants. Large nests may uproot seedlings with their tunnelling. Their worst habit is that they protect and farm aphids, moving them onto your plants in order to milk them for their honeydew. Remove the aphids and the ants will move on too.

They like to nest under concrete in particular. I let them do so, and then overturn the concrete slabs to expose the eggs to birds (which I like better than ants).

[workhorse]

I have an ants nest in my compost heap. Is this a problem, or do I let them get on with it?