Reader Question: Ants in Worm Bin

I have a trail of black ants climbing into my worm bin. How do I get rid of them? Will they hurt my worms?

Black ants won't attack your worms (with the exception of fire ants), but they can affect the worm's ability to make worm compost in that they compete for food if they become too plentiful. In addition, worms prefer a nice moist habitat, while ants like their home to be a little drier. Chances are if you have an ant problem occurring, your bedding is not quite moist enough for your worms. 

Here are three things you can do:

• Water your bin. You want the bedding to be quite moist, but to also allow for air flow. If you're worried about making the bedding too wet (and leading to anaerobic conditions), simply turn it every day or two until you get a feel for how wet the worms like it.
• Again, turn the contents of your bin. This activity will help deter the ants (and other pests) from laying eggs and will help kill off any existing larvae. 
• Put the feet of the bin into dishes of water. Ants can't swim, so this will prevent any additional ants from entering the system from the outside world. 

Learn about other worm bin pests / friends here:

Slugs

Fruit Flies

Maggots

Stay tuned for a Worm Compost Challenge update soon!

Good worming!

Buy Can-O-Worms HERE!

Where to buy Red Wigglers? HERE

Where to buy European Nightcrawlers? HERE

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Comments

[Uncle Jims Red Wiggler Farm]

Something that helps really well to keep the ants from entering the bins is to line the top rim or the container with vaseline. the ants won’t cross the vaselined barrier, leaving the bin ant free!