Red Ants

[Alison]

I know there's been quite a few threads on here relating to ants on people's plots (I used to have a bit of a problem but it seems to have solved itself now thankfully) but most of those relate to black ants. A friend of mine has asked what to do about the red ants which she says are eating her strawberries and all over the soil around the potatoes. I've never had a problem with them eating fruits has anybody else? She can't see the nest so is not sure where they are coming from, do you have any ideas how she can get rid of them or any other advice. She only moved into the house recently so this is her first year cultivating the soil so that won't help but I think she's fed up with being bitten to hell and back

[rustylady]

Ants don't eat plants of any sort, as far as I know. They are probably farming aphids on the strawberries. I sympathise about the stings though. I have to use antihistamine cream if I get stung. Ants don't like being disturbed, so regular cultivation should convince them to move on.

[chris]

Are they definately eating her strawberries, or farming aphids - or even perhaps walking over the strawberries after a slug has munched them?

Must admit the red ants in my garden (and black) seem to leave my soft fruit alone..

I can't think of anyway to deter them, other than fly paper, but that's going to be really messy to install and probably won't last that long?

[Shadylane]

I'm not convinced they're the main culprit for strawbs being nibbled. I think the slugs get to them first then the ants move in to get at the moist sweet bits. We have lots of ants and I'm sure they're multiplying. Not sure what I can do about it though as they're everywhere. I always wear gloves when I'm weeding and also wellies, which are a pain in the summer when it's hot, but if I don't they go down your sock and bite. I suppose it's one of the down sides of not digging. No one on our site has ever mentioned them being a problem as far as crops go - (they complain about everything else - pigeons, rabbits, millipedes) they're just really, really annoying. I think unless you want to resort to poisoning them you just have to learn to live with em.

[Two_Sheds]

There are ants everywhere, you'll never get rid of them all - there's no point trying. I have concrete slabs around the plot and the ants like to nest under these (they like dry compost heaps too, nice and warm).

Every now and again I move the slabs around, exposing the ant eggs to the starlings, who love 'em

[Alison]

Yes, I wasn't sure about the ants eating the strawberries either as I've had them crawling all over but that's about it. Will tell her not to stress and try and rotivate the ground at the end of the season (she'll have to do that for the spuds anyway). Thanks.

[Two_Sheds]

Will tell her ... try and rotivate the ground

That'll help, they don't like dampness or being disturbed (same as rats/mice, and the advice is the same if you get either in your compost heaps: stir it up and water it well)