Keep ants out of your backyard compost bin by adding water and new materials every 10 to 14 days, as well as managing the bin to ensure that the compost is hot.

Silky Terrier Dog Breed Playing Aro... Silky Terrier Dog Breed Playing Around

Is it OK to have ants in your compost?

The presence of ants in your compost is not necessarily a bad thing. Because ants bring fungi and other organisms into the compost pile, they can enrich the compost with phosphorus and potassium, which is beneficial to the composting process.

Why is my compost bin full of ants?

The presence of ants in a compost bin is often a sign that the pile is too dry and overloaded with ‘brown’ material like sticks, twigs, straw, and cardboard. The decomposition process must be excruciatingly slow, but there is a simple solution: add moisture!

How do I keep fire ants out of my compost pile?

When the exact location of a fire ant colony is unknown, treat the area of greatest ant activity around the perimeter of your garden or compost pile with a fast-acting bait product containing hydramethylnon, abamectin, indoxacarb or spinosad.