poss problem with my compost bin??? pls help

Tomtom07

Lets be honest this is the first time I've ever had a garden so I have no idea so please be kind to me.

I've just opened the lid to my compost bin and have the largest ants nest in there (Inc flying ants, which I didn't think you could get this time of the year) I know that they can't do much harm but every time you open the lid I don't fancy fighting them off as the fly out, and running up my arm(as just happened.) Any ideas how to kill them off? I'm guessing the old trick of boiling water would do the trick.

I really don't want to kill them off using chemicals....etc as the compost will be used for future veg growing

someone please help

Cheers

Grebe

The more frequently you turn the compost the less likely you will be to get ants taking up residence there. If you get your garden fork in there and give it all a good shoogle a few times a day they should all move out in search of a new place to nest.

Grebe

I am surprised you have flying ants this early, in Scotland we don't really see them until June.

Tomtom07

Grebe wrote: »

The more frequently you turn the compost the less likely you will be to get ants taking up residence there. If you get your garden fork in there and give it all a good shoogle a few times a day they should all move out in search of a new place to nest.

Off to get the garden fork out right now, my other half will freak out if she goes in there

Grebe wrote: »

I am surprised you have flying ants this early, in Scotland we don't really see them until June.

Your not the only one!!!!!! Lovely sunshine down here in Essex thou not sure if that has anything to do with it!

Orange_King

I thought plenty of insect life was a good sign!

Our compost bin was going off at an angle so had to take a lot of the waste out and get it flat on the ground again. It was full of old pieces of turf thrown in a couple of months back so had to try and break them up a bit more.

What else could be added to help this process along?

Grebe

It is a good sign but I can see why TomTom is reluctant to have ants nesting in there.

savemoney

I just put a large thick stick in and prod mine a few times every week or so just to let air in. Then once a year empty bottom as thats okay to use and turn the rest and put it back in

Tomtom07

Grebe wrote: »

It is a good sign but I can see why TomTom is reluctant to have ants nesting in there.

Not reluctant as such, not a big fan of being bombarded by flying ants everytime I open it up thats all, I may leave it and keep it quiet from the OH she hardly goes in there anyway

mattk35

I don't know if it would help but maybe leaving the lid off for a couple of days might help and maybe the birds might be have a snack on the flying ants?????

Lotus-eater

Compost heaps attract insect life, it's sort of what they are designed to do.

I always thought flying ants were only around for a few days at most, how long have you seen them for?

Tomtom07

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Compost heaps attract insect life, it's sort of what they are designed to do.

I always thought flying ants were only around for a few days at most, how long have you seen them for?

1st day I've seen them, I'll keep a eye on it, think I was taken back by how many there seem to be, not what I was expecting.

found this on wikipedia: "it is simply a common response to temperature, humidity and windspeed."