Ants

Flipperdipper

I noticed today that I have loads and loads of ants in my polytunnel, there appears to be three or four different nests. Should I just ignore them or are they likely to become a problem as I start growing tomatoes and other veg ?

SuperSean11

They’ll just keep coming back and will eat the bugs that would eat your plant so are a good pest

stratowide

Have loads in my polytunnel..They don't bother me so I don't bother them.

Never had them eat anything on me yet.

magicbastarder

SuperSean11 wrote: »

They’ll just keep coming back and will eat the bugs that would eat your plant so are a good pest

or else they'll start farming aphids and defend them from animals who would predate on the aphids...

Dohvolle

There was a shrub in our garden that we thought the ants had killed (I know).
When we dug it out and realised it was planted in about 3cm of topsoil and the burrowing of the ants had created a path for root to find its way to deeper soil. If anything they had kept it alive for far longer that it should have. They seemed pleased when I pulled it up though.

Hocus Focus

SuperSean11 wrote: »

They’ll just keep coming back and will eat the bugs that would eat your plant so are a good pest

Or, when you are working in the tunnel or picking crops, they will find their way onto your person and give you a nasty sting,not very pleasant for young kids who you want to instruct in gardening.

SuperSean11

Hocus Focus wrote: »

Or, when you are working in the tunnel or picking crops, they will find their way onto your person and give you a nasty sting,not very pleasant for young kids who you want to instruct in gardening.

Nasty sting, you’re a bit delicate to be growing things 😅 What young kids is the op “instructing”?

Flipperdipper

Thanks for the replies folks, I think I'll just leave them alone and see how we get on with each other. I never thought that Irish ants were capable of giving any sort of a sting or bite worth talking about. If there is any kids in the tunnel I'll let them see the ants and explain all about them, including possible slight irritating sting, and let the kids look after themselves.

drdidlittle

Flipperdipper wrote: »

Thanks for the replies folks, I think I'll just leave them alone and see how we get on with each other. I never thought that Irish ants were capable of giving any sort of a sting or bite worth talking about. If there is any kids in the tunnel I'll let them see the ants and explain all about them, including possible slight irritating sting, and let the kids look after themselves.

Sting depends on the person. I find them sharp enough but then again if I get stung by horse fly I come out a lump as big as a your thumb nail.

Hocus Focus

SuperSean11 wrote: »

Nasty sting, you’re a bit delicate to be growing things 😅 What young kids is the op “instructing”?

1.Depends what part of the trouser area they get into.
2. They are not instructing, I am.

LazyClouds

Ants have been in my garden for a couple of years now and they seem to be fine. I spray them when they start farming aphids on woody plants, which harms the plants and is quite unsightly. I've planted a few scented herbs this year around where they normally hang out to deter them a bit. As long as they don't come in the house they're grand.

Graces7

drdidlittle wrote: »

Sting depends on the person. I find them sharp enough but then again if I get stung by horse fly I come out a lump as big as a your thumb nail.

Yeah I know the feeling re horse fly bites..

John_Mc

We planted two apple trees 2 years ago and last summery, ants were farming aphids on both trees. They nearly killed both trees so it's definitely worth keeping an eye on