i would like to know if after relocating a couple of fruit shrubs this aftenoon i noticed some brown shiny ants when i started to dig at their new location. Are they a real pest and if so how do i keep on top of this problem? Cheers! :-\
No they're not a real pest. They might do marginal harm by farming aphids, but they do a lot of good by eating pests you don't want.
Ah Brown Ants, Acanthomyops brunneus, or Pharaoh Ant Monomorium pharaonis (small (2 mm) yellow or light brown, almost transparent.)
Either way, ruthlessly kill the little b******s,. there a menace.
Other sorts of ants are fine.