Have I knackered my compost heap? - Caterpillars/Eggs.

[Farmer_Gyles]

i found these when i emptied a pot of spuds the other day



there are small white eggs that look like grains of rice - they are very white and were being carried around by ants - are they ant eggs?

there are some brown eggs too - similar "grain of rice" shape, but much bigger - what are they?

[chris]

i found these when i emptied a pot of spuds the other day

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there are small white eggs that look like grains of rice - they are very white and were being carried around by ants - are they ant eggs?

there are some brown eggs too - similar "grain of rice" shape, but much bigger - what are they?

I know you've got your answer now, but if anyone else is panicking about what certain eggs might be: caterpillars don't live in soil, they live on plants, on leaves.

The other commonly found eggs that panic people are the fat bits of rice you find in soil or compost heaps (ant eggs: very tasty food for goldfish )

^

[chris]

Larger ones, I guess are more mature?

[Farmer_Gyles]

hmmmm ..... dubious ....
if one was likely to "grow", there would be sizes in between .... but there weren't ....

[taff]

still ant eggs...

[PyreneesPlot]

Little ones workers, big ones fliers?

[clauivy]

caterpillars in compost, good or bad?

Hello while in the garden my kids found caterpillars and three them in our just started compost bin. I'm worried that when it comes time to use the compost it'll be full of caterpillars and dangerous to use in my vegetable garden. Please any help!

[Nicos]

One of the benefits of a compost bin is that the heat which is created whilst the vegetation is rotting down should also kill off most living things in it....IF you regularly turn it over.

[Dalrimple]

Found some eggs of the edible snail the other day. They are HUGE, like small ball bearings and the pop was loud and satisfying!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

I was watching a program about the worlds most expencive food and snail caviar was up there with the top ,loads of rich birds gulping it down with champers LOL made me retch. Dal

[hamamelis]

i found these when i emptied a pot of spuds the other day

[ATTACH=CONFIG]30868[/ATTACH]

there are small white eggs that look like grains of rice - they are very white and were being carried around by ants - are they ant eggs?

there are some brown eggs too - similar "grain of rice" shape, but much bigger - what are they?

The things known as "ant eggs" are actually the cocoons, between the larval form and adult form; their actual eggs are tiny, barely visible things. The smaller, more numerous ones are worker ants, the larger ones, only seen at certain times of year, are cocoons of flying queen and male ants.

[the big lebowski]

i have had those round white balls every time i have dug up my potatos ,i thought they were slug eggs i just left them on top of the soil and when i went back a couple of days later they had all gone i hoped that they had all been eaten by birds or frogs but the amount of slugs ive had this im starting to wonder about that ha ha ,cheers

[Ryez]

This thread contains really good info! I have a question too. I keep finding these "egg-looking white bubbly stuff" in between leaves or as the picture indicates on my strawberries. I poked it and a few days later it turn into a gooey bubble thing. Ew! What is it? I am so curious.



Thank you.

[hamamelis]

Ryez, that looks like what's known as 'cuckoo spit',made by froghopper larvae. If you look through it, you should find a little green insect, which makes the foam from the sap in your plant in order to hide from predators.

It's not normally a real problem for your plants, unless there's loads, which doesn't normally happen. I've had quite a bit on my thyme this year, but I just leave it to it. I think they're kind of cute...

[Ryez]

Aw! Thank you very much, that's brilliant. I will stop destroying them! :-)