Topic: ants in compost

[stanley]

Aaarrrghhhhhh, its happened again, lovely compost bin now full of ants, it happened to me a couple of yrs ago, we ended up moving house, a little drastic I know but it worked, has anyone got any ideas, more to the point has anyone had this problem and resolved it.

Short of moving house that is

[MikeB]

Sprinkle ant killer powder over it.

[vee]

I had an ant's nest in my compost bin at the allotment last year (a wooden square one) and looked it up on the internet.

The advice I found was that it happens when the compost is too dry, but that they help break down the compost and that they go away in the autumn.

I just left them to it and they disappeared eventually. I would be careful what poison I put in a compost bin as it will go on your soil when you empty it out.
Hope this helps.

[saddad]

If you break it up then the birds will reduce the problem.... and you can water it. Have you got a lid? Is it keeping the rain out, if you have had any!!!
 ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've had them in my bins many times; I just ignore them. They do no harm and eventually disappear. Even if you have to spread it during the summer, and it's still full of ants, they do no harm.

[valmarg]

If you really, really want to get rid of ants, water the compost heap with a 50:1 dilution of Armillatox, as it is a contact poison, and not a stomach poison.

valmarg

[redimp]

Or just water your compost heap to keep it damp - no reason to use chemicals - they like it dry not wet.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I find them in my bins when they're crammed with weeds I've just put in; they not only carry grubs right up to the top, they bring soil up with them, presumably to create the right environment. I can only think they do it for the sake of the extra warmth as it's the only time I find them in there.

[Chris Graham]

I have ants in mine too, but just gonna leave them to it, they do no harm.  ;)

[Grant]

Watering, keeping it damp.  Our raised bed with carrots suffered same problem but I just kept watering the sides and they seem to have gone else where.

[Chris Graham]

what about weed control ?

how do you deal with that?