I had some ants when I was just getting started this year, although they were not as severe as your sounded. I used some cornmeal to try and chase them away, I don't know if that worked or if the fact that I started working and watering the whole bed seemed to move them out. There was a thread about it a few weeks ago that was rather long you may want to check it out.

if they're not the big red ants that sting, why bother them. they won't bother you, they just like the loose soil.

Ants are not good for gardens-even if they are not fire ants. Ants will not normally bother the root systems you mentioned. But, they do eat leaves and also plants with sweet things in them-strawberries for example. I had an ant problem one year and was able to control/eliminate them by using Johnnys Select Seeds- Diatec V product. It is organic and it is very effective...I used the powder kind. But, you have to find the main hill-check the compost and make sure there are no tracks back and forth to your garden and the composter...they usually are there because of something sweet....

well, i guess everyone has had their own experiences. i have little black ants, called sugar ants out here, all over the place and i can't tell that they've ever caused my garden a problem. i guess i just always opt to the live and let live approach.

I've never had a problem with ants in a garden and my mother always told me that they were nature's "backup pollinators" as they tend to crawl from flower to flower in their search for raw materials to grow their fungus food crop.

Random Trivia - ants are natures professional mushroom/fungus farmer. Everything they collect is raw materials (typically things high in carbs) to be used in the cultivation of various types of fungus which they then use as their food source. :shrug: