Ant nest in the compost bin!!

[nellie72]

Hi all, can anyone tell me if ants in vast quantities are okay in the compost or a pest? I dug out some compost from the bottom of my bin this morning for the first time this year, and was horrified at the mass of movement in it
So I've opened a bag of bought stuff for my tubs, and await any help & advice, while waiting for the ants to hopefully disperse

[mrscorpio]

Hi all, can anyone tell me if ants in vast quantities are okay in the compost or a pest? I dug out some compost from the bottom of my bin this morning for the first time this year, and was horrified at the mass of movement in it
So I've opened a bag of bought stuff for my tubs, and await any help & advice, while waiting for the ants to hopefully disperse

Hi
I also had an ants nest, I read somewhere it is because the compost is too dry,
However mine was wet. I sprinkled some ant powder in as I didnt want to spread ants around the garden.
I have lived here for 10 years and these are the first ants I have ever seen in my garden, I dont have a clue where they came from, and certainly dont want them everywhere.

This may be the wrong thing to do - but someone on here may know if this is OK.

[Jeanied]

If the ants have moved in, it is a sign that the bin is too dry - why not give it all a thorough watering, saves on the chemicals.

[Sanjo]

I've got loads of the damn things in the greenhouse and when I lifted one of my melon pots the massive amount of ants scurried away.
Will a lot of ants (ie a nest) damage my greenhouse plants?

[Sheikh Yerboutti]

I allways get them in my compost too. Theyre harmless enough and all part of the grand scheme. Leave the lid of a day or so and the birds will do the biz.

[Two_Sheds]

Birds don't eat ants do they?
Fish will eat ant eggs though. Ants like dry, undisturbed conditions. They particularly like to nest under concrete slabs or similar (eg pots).

They don't eat plants, but they do encourage & protect aphids, and their tunnels can damage plant roots (sometimes killing the plant).

Personally, I tolerate them in the garden. I let them nest under a concrete stepping stone, then I lift the stone to feed the eggs to my goldfish

[Sheikh Yerboutti]

Yes, birds eat pretty much any insect, blackbirds especially fond of ants. My ducks love em too.

[geoff]

I've had ants in my compost bin; could be the compost is too dry
Break up the compost & nest with a fork, then pour over a few buckets of water, and stir it up again. Any excess water will drain off

[ann-the-nan]

Ant nest in the compost bin!!

I read all this the other day. Altho' I don't have the strength to turn my bin much, I did give it a good soaking. Result? No pesky ants.

[nellie72]

Hey thanks everyone, I'll make sure to include the compost bin in my evening watering for a couple of days