I have one of those black plastic stackable bins that is full of compost and when I turned it over yesterday the amount of ants and their eggs was staggering. Swarms covered the bin when I disturbed them. Should I just leave them be? Not sure what an over abundance of them can cause if anything.
-
Do you need help identifying a 🌶?
Is your plant suffering from an unknown issue? 🤧
Then ask in Identification and Diagnosis.
Are hoardes of ants acceptable in a compost bin?
- Thread starter Proud Marine Dad
- Start date
The compost was actually very moist. They are just your normal black garden ants. Not sure how to get rid of them unless I put stakes in the bin or something.
Just had to treat my compost with Amdro, damn fire ants eat anything including the maggots which are the most important composting critters.
part of effective compost management is turning the compost. i do this a several times a year with one of those claw gadgets - this too will encourage the ants to move along and find a new residence. since my 4X4 bin rotted out, i picked up those plastic black urban types, nothing gets into them, i checked them yesterday and everything is still frozen inside, so i dumped in a load of snow and covered them back up - daylight sun with melt the snow and help with thaw. even frozen, i toss in scraps all winter long. that brings up another point, perhaps your internal compost temperatures are not getting hot enough for optimal organic matter breakdown.
in larger composts,they use pitch forks..... remember growing up and always seeing pitch forks? whether it was on "green acres", a "three stooges" episode or even in your father/grandfather's tool shed, pitch forks were everywhere. let's bring back the pitch fork.
good composting.
http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/citi/images/standard/WebLarge/WebImg_000132/50629_1357814.jpg
in larger composts,they use pitch forks..... remember growing up and always seeing pitch forks? whether it was on "green acres", a "three stooges" episode or even in your father/grandfather's tool shed, pitch forks were everywhere. let's bring back the pitch fork.
good composting.
http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/citi/images/standard/WebLarge/WebImg_000132/50629_1357814.jpg
Here in NC -- ants nesting in 'hoards' will attract copperheads that move in to feed on them. Then the King snakes will
feed on the copperheads. Isn't nature wonderful !
feed on the copperheads. Isn't nature wonderful !
Thanks for the replies everyone. The compost is basically done and has been in the bin all winter long but I am going to turn it weekly to see if I can get these pests to move along.
I thought food grade DE vs filter grade DE main difference was the percentage of DE in it Filter only has like only 50 percent DE.. I just used it before, and it is 99 percent DE. I could be wrong,
Food grade (feed grade) DE means (among other things) it passes standards for maximum heavy metal content and it has less than 1% free silica. Pool filter DE has been heat treated to change the physical structure of the tiny particles. Pool DE is bad stuff, it is upwards of 50% crystaline silica, breathing it is...not good for you. Also, I don't believe it has to pass any limits for heavy metals or other toxins.