Red ants nest

[kathateria]

Every year,I have a red ant nest,by my vegie patch.
Will these be doing any damage?
When ever I mow the lawn,it disturbs them,they are everywhere

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by kathateria

Every year,I have a red ant nest,by my vegie patch.
Will these be doing any damage?
When ever I mow the lawn,it disturbs them,they are everywhere

Similar question posed here: Ants and compost - a question

Ants are an important part of of Britain's natural habitat, unless they are coming into the house, try to tolerate them, on the whole they are of far more benefit than harm.

CM

[Kayleigh]

I dont see ants as a problem they are creatures that live in the grass and soil the dont seem to cause any damage I cant understand the reasoning behind wanting to kill ants..
I see people with ant powder killing them unless they are in the house I would leave them alone..
Unless they are pharaoh ants then they are a problem as they make nests deep in the brickwork making destroying the nests difficult but are not common in the UK I dont think..

[artdemole]

Leave em be.Do no harm.If you deter them then they will come up elsewhere.Good air and drainage for the lawn......Birds will pick a few off.

[kathateria]

So they dont damage the roots of the veggies?
I dont put powder down.They have been there since we have...10 years

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by kathateria

So they dont damage the roots of the veggies?
I dont put powder down.They have been there since we have...10 years

There are no species of ant in the UK that routinely cause damage to food plants. They may be found harvesting on over ripe and damaged fruit and on stored roots and seeds but ants ere overwhelmingly beneficial for gardeners. An incoveniently located nest can be translocated - simply 're-plant' as you would a shrub with a large root ball - -gloves and wellies are a good idea !

CM

[bigdave60dog]

Not rue. Most ants spread Aphids to "milk" them. Some ants transfer Root Aphids around the garden.
Dave

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by bigdave60dog

Not rue. Most ants spread Aphids to "milk" them. Some ants transfer Root Aphids around the garden.
Dave

I did note this in the associated thread - http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/fo...-question.html - however there is a question of whether aphids actually cause 'damage' in a garden setting. Certainly on a commercial scale, aphid infestation is responsible for reduced crop yield but measuring such losses on a plant by plant basis is not really meaningful. The prejudice against aphids in the garden has more to do with aesthetic reasons than plant health - producing show quality roses etc, that have little relevance to most gardeners. The only garden/allotment crop that I can think of where ant farming of aphids is a regular problem is on broad beans.

CM