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Thu, Apr 7, 11 at 16:26
| I am using a plastic bin riddled with holes for my compost. I started my bin about two weeks ago and the ants starting showing up shortly after. Today I went out and checked it and saw that the "army" has grown. I have the bin as far away from the house in my back yard as possible, sitting between my new raised garden and a patch of iris.
Should I be concerned about the ants? Is there anything I can do about them? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| BTW, in my first post I asked, "Should I be concerned about them?" Actually, I am concerned about them. I'm pretty sure they're not fire ants but I have a curious one year old daughter who likes to play in the back yard. So I have to get rid of the ants or get rid of the bin because they are all over the outside of it. |
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| I wouldn't be concerned, unless they were fire ants. For fire ants, I've had good luck with organic mound treatment (orange oil and molasses applied to a gallon of water). It kills and repels at the same time. It will probably work with regular ants as well, I've just never tried it. |
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| Here on Garden Web on the Organic Garden forum a thread on organic ant control. Use the search tab at the top of the page. Good Luck. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Organic ant control
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| With the exception of the Imported Fire Ant ants in the garden are not the problem most peole think they are but instead are a part of Ma Natures whole recycling machine aiding in converting waste material into foods that plants can use to grow. The presence of ants in a compost pile can indicate there is a problem with how the pile was constructed and that it is not working and so, since ants recycle waste material, ie compost material, that is what they are doing in your compost. What is the moisture of the mixture? What is the C:N ratio, roughly? |
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