In article ,
Roger Tonkin wrote:

Whilst pulling weeds today, I pull up a root and exposed a
large black ants nest,( and the damned things got all over
me!). As there were a lot of small winged ants there, my
immediate instinct was to dig out the ant powder fom the shed,
but....

I suddenly wondered: Do ants do good or harm in the garden,? Do
we need them? Are the flying horrors best off despatched?

I realise that poor ignorant man that I am, I don't know!

Generally, good, especially the ones that bite most painfully :-)

Common ants are mostly scavengers and play a major part in the
natural recycling process, not least by taking organic matter
underground. A few species, such as Lasius niger, have a VERY
SLIGHT effect of encouraging aphids, but there is no evidence
that killing them reduces aphid infestations in a domestic
context.

Some ants are predators, and so will help keep plant parasites
under control. Those are the ones that bite ....


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.