Ants in compost bin

Apodemus

Yes, as that Gardenersworld link says, moisture is your friend here!  If there are ants in your compost heap it is a sign that it is too dry.  In the OPs case, (storing old compost rather than making compost from scratch), then the situation is a bit different, but the solution is the same.  You just need to raise the moisture level in the compost.  Spraying it with a hose a couple of times would achieve what you need, albeit at the cost of making the transfer heavier when it comes time to move it all.

Martico

AliceW said:

twopenny said:

In 2 weeks or so they will grow wings and fly away. Usually mid July, a humid evening about 6 am. Can you wait that long?

The ants will make great compost, they turn it into a fine tilth.

I know it's kind of creepy but it's just unfortunate that you want to move it right now before they go.

If you can wait 2 weeks then just emptying and moving it will help them avoid returning. Do you have the compost bin raised a tad above the ground? The standard is to raise it a couple of inches and fill the base with small branches then put your compostable material on top. There should also be soft twigs and stems added between compost layers.

My guess is it's on the ground with lovely shop bought compost in

Thats why you also raise pots on feet apart from drainage. If flat on the ground the ants find a perfect home.

Thank you. I didn't know any of that! It is on the ground (no base, just sits on the soil) with shop bought compost inside. It's a dalek style one (big top lid and a door near the ground) I bought it from the council years ago.

So, I wait 2 weeks take the top lid off, open the door at the base  and they should all go? Then I can put all the compost under the trees and move the bin?

Would I be able to buy a base. Or stand it on bricks maybe?

If it's a dalek-style one that you add fresh cuttings and the like to, to break down into compost, then it's best to keep in contact with the soil, so that worms, millipedes, beetles and other detritoids come in and speed the composting process. If it's just used as a store for shop-bought compost, that may be different. But ants do no harm, are an important cog in the ecosystem and will attract predators of their own, from bugs to birds. I'd leave them be

ka7e

I've got rid of ants in pots using liberal sprinklings of diatomaceous earth. They avoid it like the plague as it dehydrates and kills the larva if it's carried into the nest. Keeping the pots moist didn't seem to work!

AliceW

twopenny said:

Might be tricky doing that until they've flown then even if there are some left they will probably take off to find somewhere more suitable for them.

Wear shoes, trousers with socks tucked in and a long sleved top just in case.

But you've just made an ideal home for them. Loose soil, warm and free from preditors.

Being spread on ordinary soil won't be so good. Also birds will eat them. I've encouraged the birds and this year I;m free of ants for the first time. Sparrows are especially good at this.

Yes, bricks would be fine, I've used the blocks for block paving about £3 each. that way they are easier for me to manage and where my garden is on a slope I can use 2 on one side and adjust.

It's not a fun job but once done your problem is over. Get a treat to have after the event

And start the base off with twigs or light prunings to allow an air gap from below to improve decomposition.

Also the ants won't use it because they like things against the ground.

That's from a 1920s gardening book. There's simpler advice in those.

And Gardeners world did one on ants with a different take. Scroll down for it. I'm not convinced but always worth more knowledge and worth a try.

https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/diy/how-to-build-a-compost-bin/

It would be interesting to know what happens if you have the time after.

Thank you. I'll give them another week to fly away, then I'll  move the compost and report back.

Grenage

Not particularly on topic, but has anyone ever been bitten by a black ant?

Red ants, yes, but I've had black all over without a nip.

Farway

Grenage said:

Not particularly on topic, but has anyone ever been bitten by a black ant?

Red ants, yes, but I've had black all over without a nip.

Yes, but not really painful, and to be fair I had disturbed their nest & eggs so guess they were really annoyed & defensive

Martico

Flying Ant Day has arrived in Bristol. 
It's nowhere near as spectacular as it used to be, poor things 

AliceW

I left the lid off the compost bin for a few days and when I looked today there weren't any ants at the top of the compost, so I decided to shovel the compost into a wheelbarrow and spread it under the tree at the bottom of the garden. (Very tiring work with lots of shovelling, and to-ing and fro-ing with the wheelbarrow!) 

There were quite a lot of ants further down in the bin --some with wings, but I took Twopenny's advice and was well covered--long sleeves gloves, trousers, boots, and didn't get bitten. Compost bin is empty now and I discovered it does have a bottom (rather than being directly on the soil) but the bottom piece is stuck in the clay soil so I'll have another look at getting that out tomorrow.  Will probably stand the bin on bricks once the bottom is back in the bin)