Ant nest in compost

karen_g

I started my compost bin last summer and it's pretty full now and doing well....except I noticed today there is a huge ants nest in it...is this a problem and if so how do I remove it without mucking up the compost?

SailorSam

I noticed i've got an ants nest in my compost bin, i'm not sure if they do any harm. But i read somewhere if you have mint growing and throw that down the ants will leave and look for somewhere else to live.
I have got loads of mint but haven't tried it 'cos i thought if they do move it could be to inside the house., i'd rather them stay where they are.

suzeesu2000

Ants HATE lemons! add a few slices of lemon or the juice to where the ants are and they will leave - trouble is, they will migrate somewhere else....the lemon wont harm your compost though.

Mr_Thrifty

chuck some ant killer on it?

tulip12

I also found yesterday ants with lots of eggs (yuk ) in a bag of multi purpose compost. If I just leave them will they vanish in their own time ?

PasturesNew

Boiling water kills them off....

Foxy0810

PasturesNew wrote: »

Boiling water kills them off....

But does it kill crops also? I have ants everywhere how do I get rid

Lotus-eater

Mr_Thrifty wrote: »

chuck some ant killer on it?

IN a compost bin?

Are the ants hurting you in the bin? No? Then why worry about it?

Mr_Thrifty

Lotus-eater wrote: »

IN a compost bin?

Are the ants hurting you in the bin? No? Then why worry about it?

sorry, it seemed like a practical solution at the time but you are right, the ants aren't harming anyone there so why not lets leave them be

peaceandfreedom

karen_g wrote: »

I started my compost bin last summer and it's pretty full now and doing well....except I noticed today there is a huge ants nest in it...is this a problem and if so how do I remove it without mucking up the compost?

It may be a sign that your compost is too dry, though that seems unlikely given the weather we've been having. Is it in a plastic bin with a lid - if so, leave the lid off to let some rain in.

Ants also don't like to live in disturbed soil so you could dig over the compost (or empty it/put it back in if it's one of those dalek-style bins).

Alternatively, you could just leave them be. I'm sure there are all kinds of everything living in my compost heaps, it's fine by me. But they are nowhere near the house, I might be a bit less hospitable if they were near the back door.

Mr_Thrifty

What kind of ants are they