Ants and compost - a question

[paddy]

I have two plastic bins and - just like last year - both have become enormous ants nests. They are turning up a very fine tilth to the top, burrowing and doing what i would expect to have to do. Anyone know if ant activity reduces the nutrient value in it though? They're obviously doing a fine aeration job, but don't know what they take out as a result of nest building...

[Jez]

Originally Posted by paddy

I have two plastic bins and - just like last year - both have become enormous ants nests. They are turning up a very fine tilth to the top, burrowing and doing what i would expect to have to do. Anyone know if ant activity reduces the nutrient value in it though? They're obviously doing a fine aeration job, but don't know what they take out as a result of nest building...

http://www.grinnell.edu/academic/bio...des%5CTlr5.pdf

I don't know if this is any help to you Paddy?

[Paul mabbott]

They're most likely eating seeds - some of which might not break down in composting so they may be doing you a favour. Every invertebrate in a compost heap is taking something out of it ... but also giving something back - in the case of ants, their faeces and dead individuals ... as well, as you say, as doing some of your work for you!

So, if your compost looks okay, I wouldn't bother about them. Personally, I would think that your compost is too dry if ants are living in it and might be tempted to throw a bucket of water in from time to time .. but if you're happy with the compost, leave it alone.

Originally Posted by paddy

I have two plastic bins and - just like last year - both have become enormous ants nests. They are turning up a very fine tilth to the top, burrowing and doing what i would expect to have to do. Anyone know if ant activity reduces the nutrient value in it though? They're obviously doing a fine aeration job, but don't know what they take out as a result of nest building...

[paddy]

Thanks for that - the research piece was interesting. If the findings of that survey are good for UK ants too, it looks like the course of action would be to increase the moisture of the compost (the tunnelling probably drying it out) and to reduce the amount of carbon matter added (as somehow ant mounds show an increase in carbon to surrounding areas).
Really useful advice from both of you - ta.
(Actually, i'm probably gonna leave them to it - another aspect to the wildlife gardening!)

[Cotham Marble]

Paddy,
I would agree that making no change is the best thing in this circumstance.

The savannah study only suggests that ants are shifting carbon (plant material) into the soil, and doesn't provide any basis for changing how a compost is manged.

The plastic bins (as opposed to an open heap) are effectively a closed system in which moisture is very well retained, the ant action is unlikely to contribute much drying. I would always be cautious about adding water to a plastic bin system.

Re: nutrients in a compost - I wrote this a while back:

Composting 101

CM

[paddy]

Thanks CB - went through the article. I suspect both my bins are fairly aerobic now. They both turned out a friable compost last autumn (after ants again!). I spread it everywhere, and augmented it with a dusting of fish blood and bone in spring (just before the wet spell). I have LOADS of plants in quite a small space, and everything seems to be going well so far.
One point of interest - when i transferred the spent contents of a pot into one bin, i noticed i was introducing a nest of brown ants into an existing black ant bin. There then followed a whale of a battle, with the black ants very quickly dominant. Not one brown ant remained after about 2 hours. Maybe something to do with comparative numbers of course, but the aggression of the black ones was something to see.....

[susie reade]

what would you do about the ants which are multiplying rapidly in the beds in my allotment greenhouse? They get especially excited when I water the tomato plants and rush into the area where I have to stand. I have to keep dancing to stop them eating my toes.
This is not the first year of this problem but its probably made worse by my adding loads of fresh compost in March.

Boiling water would damage the plants. Chemicals would kill off good bugs.

Advice?

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by susie reade

what would you do about the ants which are multiplying rapidly in the beds in my allotment greenhouse? They get especially excited when I water the tomato plants and rush into the area where I have to stand. I have to keep dancing to stop them eating my toes.
This is not the first year of this problem but its probably made worse by my adding loads of fresh compost in March. Boiling water would damage the plants. Chemicals would kill off good bugs. Advice?

Hi, welcome to WAB,

Other than the danger to your toes, are there any actual problems caused to your plants by the ants ? In most cases ants are a direct benefit to a gardener, they are a key element in the breakdown of celulose and lignin and are also predators of potential pests. The only problem they usually pose is the distribution of root aphids (black fly etc) to the growing tips of some plants, even then dealing with the aphids is easier than trying to erradicate the ants.

As well as their soil improving and pest removal activities, ants are a food source for numbers of ground feeding birds, so my advice - treat the ants as friends who happen to on occasion display bad manners and and keep your feet covered when watering.

CM