On 31/07/2014 21:27, 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!

This may give you something to think about
CHOCOLATE COVERED GIANT ANTS
Hand toasted Giant Queen Leafcutter Ants coated in the finest Belgian
Chocolate. Every spring when the rains come in Colombia the Guane
Indians collect the new Queens when they are emerging from their
underground nests, only one Queen Ant is needed in a colony so the new
Queens have to leave. The Indians have been collecting these ants every
spring when they fly from their nests to toast in a clay pot over an
open fire for centuries, and they are considered a rare delicacy. The
ants are also nutritious and tasty and are said to be good for boosting
your immune system, because they are rich in formic acid. They can also
give you a mini energy boost.