Eek! Ants!

[newgardengirl]

I have a "dalek" style composter. I have noticed over the last week or so that every time I open it, loads of ants comerunning out and down the sides. Unfortunately, the composter is right in the middle of the vegetable patch (long story) and I will soon be needing to put some plants in the ground near it, and now I don't really know what to do.

Help!

[libbyloulou]

hi, ants, in my garden anyway, appear to survive in areas that could be dryer than the rest, eg raised bed boards, in which i pour hot water along, is your compost bin not a bit on the dry side ? they will pack up and moved elsewhere is the soil is too damp for them!

[rustylady]

They also don't like being disturbed! I know a dalek isn't the easiest of containters to turn the compost in, but if you can possibly fork it over or turn it out and re-load this should help. Ants don't do any harm in a compost bin, it's when they start tunnelling under the roots of plants or farming aphids that they cause harm to the garden.

[AReynolds]

I too have ants in my dalek style compost bin and I'm having a great deal of trouble getting rid of them. I've tried disturbing them continuously, but they refuse to budge! In fact the colony has become so large that they just about fill the whole bin. They also seem to be nursing some very large white grubs. Any ideas what these might be? And any other ideas as to how I can get rid of them without having to resort to using chemicals and ruining whats left of my compost?

[Dobby]

I think the very large white grubs might be Queen ants or worse still the flying kind
is the compst bin in a safe place away from fencing if so it might be an idear to remove the Darlic and set fire to it
I like fire (pot ash)