Expert: nick mccann - 6/18/2008

Question
Dear Nick, I have a large wooden barrel container - about 2.5 feet high and about 3 feet in diameter,the kind you see at garden shops - in which I've planted flowers for about 4-5 years (I live in New England). The barrel sits on the ground in my back yard in a sunny spot. This year when I turned over the soil in the barrel I saw that it has become home to a huge ant colony (small brown ants). I dug up the soil and upended the barrel and saw that the colony extends into the ground below the barrel (ant eggs, tunnels, etc.).  What should I do? Throw the barrel away? Dispose of the soil? Dig up the ground? Will the ants reestablish themselves in the same place? I prefer not to use a lot of chemicals -- I've never used any in my gardens, but I would like to plant more flowers this year. Thank you for any help you can provide!  Sally

Answer
Hi Sally, they are carpenter ants, and when you dug the nest up you probably dispatched it, they will establish somewhere else now; the barrel should be fine to reuse, they like wood, but just use it for nesting. Wash it out, use a little bleach,  then let it dry out and next time you use it, put it on a buffer, like a piece of slate, something that will avoid contact with the soil, this way the ants won't be interested in it, also, line the bottom of the barrel with some gravel for extra drainage (about 3 inches). Nick