# Do black ants serve any positive ecological niche around my yard? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 19, 2015, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-ants-serve-any-positive-ecological-niche-around-my-yard/725656 "2015-07-19T23:27:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-ants-serve-any-positive-ecological-niche-around-my-yard/725656/1 "2015-07-19T23:27:16Z")
It’s summer and I’m constantly inundated with a black ant infestation. I was wondering if making a greater attempt to exterminate the nests near my house would have any negative ramifications. I’ve got a bag of diatomaceous earth that I bought because I suspected a bedbug infestation due to super itchy skin. After 3 doctor trips including a dermetolgoist who dug out piieces of flesh to examine, I’ve concluded that it was some sort of bizarre fungus skin infection, even though the lab results showed nothing. In any case, thank god, the skin disease seems to have gone away. In any case, I want to dump some diatomaceous earth over the ant colonies close to my entryways and was wondering if there would be any negative ecological effects. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-ants-serve-any-positive-ecological-niche-around-my-yard/725656/2 "2015-07-19T23:50:49Z")
Well, they aerate your lawn, help in decomposition, control other ‘pest’ species and other stuff like that. They can be annoying though, no doubt, but they actually do have a positive ecological niche in your yard that you are going to have to pay for if you whack them all. ---
**Author:** ![Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cabin_fever_1/32/2908_2.png) [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-ants-serve-any-positive-ecological-niche-around-my-yard/725656/3 "2015-07-20T02:26:40Z")
They will help your ecosystem. (Seriously). Fire ants - on the other hand - should be entertained by flame-throwers, grenades, and lasers from space orbit. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-ants-serve-any-positive-ecological-niche-around-my-yard/725656/4 "2015-07-20T03:16:52Z")
I’ve fostered a lil’ black “sugar” ant infestation to drive off mice and cockroaches … worked well except for all the damn ants all over the place, no more 'roaches !!! ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-black-ants-serve-any-positive-ecological-niche-around-my-yard/725656/5 "2015-07-20T03:26:08Z")
> [@XT](#): > > Well, they aerate your lawn, help in decomposition, control other ‘pest’ species and other stuff like that. They can be annoying though, no doubt, but they actually do have a positive ecological niche in your yard that you are going to have to pay for if you whack them all. That makes sense. Thanks. However, I live in California and am trying to cover all my open space with decomposed granite with small bits of drip irrigated drought tolerant plants. Pretty much no lawn at all. Most of the trees do just fine with zero watering. I think I’'ll toss the diatomaceous earth on the nests that are directly next to my entryways and let all the others live.