Are ants all that bad? I just don't think ants are "true" pests. For me, the only pesty thing about them is the bite and the look on a land. They are the best clean up crews I have seen. Just throw a piece of meat(large or small) or fruit on any part of the land, within minutes they are all over them. About few days later, the food is all gone. They clean up dead crickets and june bugs on my porch. If you have pest on your plant, you could always through them in the pile. They are the chief predators and most organize of insect world.
Even King Solomon must have watch ants in his days, for he wrote in Proverbs :" Go to the ants, you sluggards!"
I call insects that are not truely pests(my definition of pest is something that bites you as for food [parasites] or eat up plants) but are just annoying as ---"benefical pests." Ants that bites you are just guarding their property.

Tree Dude

In theory all ants are good and beneficial. The good Lord created everything good and for a purpose. However sometimes their destiny and purposes interfers with ours! (LOL)

Most regular ants are super decomposers for our soils and static passive compost piles. Most hot active piles never have ants.

Even fire ants have some purpose far as controlling some soil pests. HG has some great recipes for discouraging them around your crops in your garden or lawn.

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The entire Kingdom of God can be totally explained as an Organic Garden (Mark 4:26)
William Cureton