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
Sprinkle ant killer powder over it.
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.
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
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.
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
Or just water your compost heap to keep it damp - no reason to use chemicals - they like it dry not wet.
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.
I have ants in mine too, but just gonna leave them to it, they do no harm. ;)
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.
what about weed control ?
how do you deal with that?