Rewilding My Lot

Even though it is very hot outside at the moment, I do my gardening work in closed shoes, long socks, long trousers, a long-sleeved shirt, two pairs of gloves, a bandana, and a brimmed hat. Part of that is for sun protection, but it’s also because I got tired of being bitten by ants inside my clothing. There was also the embarrassment of doing a very peculiar dance in front of the neighboring construction workers when I realized that a couple of biting ants had disappeared inside my shirt.

Ants are here in abundance, and the drought is probably making them even more active as they search for water. However, as inconvenient as they are for me personally, I am generally not doing anything to remove them. (The one exception was a mound at the edge of our driveway right where I step into my car, so I poured a kettle of boiling water in that location.)

Here are some benefits of ants that I know of:

• Ants loosen and aerate the soil as they dig their tunnels. We badly need that on our compacted lot.
• They act as decomposers, breaking down organic waste and dead insects or animals. There are many hard at work in the compost tumbler, for instance.
• When they take food underground, that can help to fertilize the soil and distribute seeds.
• They are food themselves for other insects and birds.

So ants are (mostly) welcome here, and I work around them. If I disturb a colony, then sometimes that means I have to move away from that spot and come back another day. And I definitely do a thorough brushing down of my clothing before I come inside after a gardening session. No more weird dancing, please.