Subject: Unknown ants bad for garden?

From: [email-masked] (Shannon Hooper)
Date: 29 Mar 1995 07:18:02 GMT

I've been lurking here for awhile and haven't seen the answer to a
question I have (or my mother has) and, frankly, she's getting ansy
for an answer. So I've been forced to de-lurk.

My mom has an ant mound/hill about a foot tall in her backyard that's
been there for at least a year. The ants that occupy said hill are
about 3/8" to 1/2" long and are red in the front and black in the
back. She's wondering what sort of ants these might be and if they are
harmful, neutral, or beneficial for her yard/garden. They've never
bothered her and haven't as of yet invaded her house. She lives in
Seattle, WA by the way. Does anyone have any ideas about these
industrious little creatures that have taken up residence in her
backyard?

-shannon

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From: [email-masked] (Ed Griffin)
Date: Thu, 30 Mar 1995 06:48:45 -0500 (EST)

[email-masked] (Shannon Hooper) wrote:

>harmful, neutral, or beneficial for her yard/garden. 

Generally, I don't kill creatures (fire ants excepted), so all manner
of ants exist in my yard, gardens, house, etc..  I have some that SEEM
to be the ones you describe - they're innocuous. In 40 years of
gardening, I,ve never seen an ant that hurts anything in a garden....
If you (or your  ma) fear that they spread and bite, let a few walk on
you; if they bite, do them in!

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From: [email-masked] (Ed Griffin)
Date: Thu, 30 Mar 1995 06:48:45 -0500 (EST)

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From: [email-masked] (charles dunn)
Date: 3 Apr 1995 19:06:18 -0500

Ants answering that description that live here in Central Texas are
nocturnal leaf-cutter ants.  I've never seen them do any harm.

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From: [email-masked] (charles dunn)
Date: 3 Apr 1995 19:06:18 -0500