Strawberries and ants

[nickybeancat]

Can anybody help me?
I have just dug a new strawberry bed to plant the runners out in(not even sure if that is correct to be honest) and have found that part of the bed is inhabited by ants. What should I do? If I plant them out with doing nothing will the ants eat the strawberries? Or should I get rid of the ants and how should I do that? Or should I dig another bed?Please help!

[Reb Williams]

The ants will probably not bite into the strawbs themselves, but will happily get stuck in once some other critter (eg slugs, woodlice) have made the first bite.
To get rid of them before planting, make it uncomfortable for them: pour a bucket of water (boiling water if you don't mind being really cruel) over the nest each day. They'd up sticks and move somewhere less unpleasant after a bit, and you can reclaim your strawberry bed. At least for a while...
R

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[Dottie]

I agree with Reb. They won't have being happy you upset the nest already, so if you keep going back, fork around a bit and then just flood the bed with a hose each time, they will move onto pastures new.