Professional Ant Killing Products
For the most reliable, quickest results, choose a product that is specifically designed for killing ants.
I have also found there is no one solution to killing ants. It is always best to use a multi pronged approach to give you the best chance of removing them.
I recommend Home Defence products to homeowners as they are usually enough to get the job done.
I use their products in a 3 stage solution:
- Stage 1 Fast acting killer spray: quickly kills ants you have in around the house.
- Stage 2- Ant killer granules: apply on ants and on to the ant nest to kill the colony.
- Stage 3- Ant bait stations: can be left around the garden/house for any remaining ants to feed on and take back to the nest.
Fast Acting Ant Killer Spray
This is usually used on the first stage when you first find the ants and just want to remove them from the area.
While this is not designed to be used on your lawn directly, the ant killer spray is highly effective at killing ants quickly in and around the house.
I would not recommend wasting your time spraying ants around your whole garden, as there are other solutions for that.
Just use this in the areas in and around your home.
Ant Killer Granules
After you killed ants in and around the home, its time to go after the colony.
The ant killer granules can be used to kill ants in two ways:
If you know where the nest is, it would be wise to use both methods above.
Depending on the size of the nest, you may need a second application a month later.
Tip # 0: Using Lemon And Water:
Lemon sap can work as vinegar. By using lemon sap, the ants will be removed from the grasses or plants naturally. The recipe is: squeeze
How Do Ant Hills Work
Ant hills are not as simple as they seem to be. Underneath, is a network of tunnels and chambers that are carefully and tirelessly crafted by worker ants for various special purposes. They have compartments set up for their food, for resting, and for the eggs of their queen.
In the morning, worker ants carry the eggs of their queen to chambers near the surface of the ground. This helps provide the warmth needed by the eggs. And in the evening, the worker ants move them back down in lower chambers. In general, the ants use the earth as its insulation against extreme temperature and weather elements.
Ant hills can grow from small shapeless mounds to towering three feet high hills. These piles of dirt typically have a hole in the middle which serves as the entry point into the colony. Underneath, networks of tunnels and chambers can run up to 3 feet deep and 4 feet wide depending on the size of the colony.
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How Ant Hills Work
Before getting into more detail on how to deal with ant hills and colonies, as well as dealing with different ant species, its important to understand how ant hills work. Knowing how theyre built, what purpose they serve, and what goes on inside, will give you a better foundation to start with and will also help you make better decisions when it comes to extermination methods.
Ant hills are complex structures. Each hill features an entire network of chambers and tunnels, created by careful earth displacement done by the worker ants. Some chambers are for resting, others house the eggs, while some serve as food storage.
The eggs are usually located in the deeper chambers, at least during the night. During the day, eggs are transported by worker ants to their queen. This is important, as it will affect the time of day when you should treat an ant hill, depending on the species and method or eradication.
Ant hills can house colonies of millions of ants. Thats because worker ants work tirelessly to create new tunnels, new chambers, and expand the colonys home. Its a cycle that can go on forever or until something disrupts them.
Two Homemade Boric Acid Solution
Boric acid has been used for a long time as the premier weapon against ant colonies. Its an efficient ant killer and can be dispersed easily on top of a hill, as the insecticide comes in powder form. Because it kills on contact, it can take care of an entire ant hill rather quickly.
But, it also needs some help. Since it has no broadcasting capabilities, its worth mixing it in a solution with water and sugar. Sugar will draw ants and the boric acid will kill them. It also disguises the chemical. Finally, when using a watery boric acid solution, youll also be able to pour it directly into the ant hill, making sure that it reaches deep into the tunnel network.
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Ants Are Beneficial To Your Garden They De
Armies of Ants can be found in all lawns across the UK and in most cases they do little direct damage, but when there is an infestation problem can occur in our beloved lawns.
When large colonies of ants take up residence in our lawns the ant hills that can be left on the lawn are a burden to a lawn lover. Ants work like an army and are an intriguing insect but they can deposit appreciable amounts of soil on your lawn , which can then cause problems. They make the lawn uneven and can cause scalping when the grass is mown, resulting in the soil being smeared over the lawn. This problem is made even worse if the lawn is wet when mown, and these patches can become a breeding ground for weeds. In severe cases ant hills can cause bare patches all over the lawn where the roots of the grass have been damaged but the activity.
Lawns on sandy or chalky soils are often more affected by ants than lawns with heavier soil.
During cool winter months, anthills are not so much of a problem as ants are dormant and asleep in the nest. They tend to be most active April- October, leaving the nest in search of food once the weather warms up.
Killing Ant Hills With Boiling Water And Borax: Is It Effective
Pouring boiling water over an ant hill can kill a lot of ants. The high temperature is likely to weaken the infrastructure of the nest. Depending on the size of the kettle and ant colony, you may have to make two or three trips to the kitchen.
The problem with hot water is that it may not reach the lowest tunnels. The ants at the bottom will also have enough time to flee the nest, so you may not get rid of the whole colony.
Borax is considered as one of the most effective ant hill killers. You can sprinkle it over an ant mound in powder form.
You can also mix it with a sugar solution and spray the mixture around the ant hill. The ants will be attracted to the sugar. They will take the mixture to their nest. The Borax will eliminate the entire ant colony.
Take extra care not to pour Borax on your lawn because it will kill the grass. You should also keep it away from children and pets because its harmful if ingested.
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If The Problem Is Ant Mounds In The Middle Of Your Lawn You Have Two Choices:
1) Let go of the picture-perfect lawn
If the only reason you want to get rid of an ant nest is because it ruins the picture-perfect lawn, then the best way to deal with it is to let go of the image. The lawn is fine. Spend the time and frustration that youd otherwise be using trying out different solutions on something more relaxing than battling nature.
Or take a look at suggestion #1 in the next section.
2) Rake the mounds to a ¼ over grass on a weekly basis
Keeping soil in a mound to ¼ will help keep the grass under the mound alive and you wont see a mound anymore. Remember, the ants arent actually living in the mounds. Theyre just the aftermath of their tunnel digging. Even if you cover up the tunnels, the ants will have other tunnel entrances to use, hopefully in more discrete locations.
Recommended Reading And Faqs
Why we shouldnt kill lawn ants? What purpose do ants serve in lawn?
Ants are an element in the environment and there must be some purposes too. They are not always so harmful for lawn as we may think. Ants may serve many good purposes in your lawn.
- Ants aerate the lawn
- They turns dead animals to fertilizers
- They disperse your seeds
Vegans repel and drives away ants rather than killing.
How do I get rid of an ant colony in my yard?
Spraying dish soap/borax with water may make it easy and simple.
What smell do ants hate? What do ants hate the most?
Ants hate and avoid the smell of peppermint. If you like to drive ants with just the smell, give a try with peppermint that works as an insect repellent. Ants are reported to hate cayenne pepper.
Does squashing ants attract more?
Yes, squashing ants attract more in the area.
Does baking soda kill ants?
Yes, baking soda may kill ants as it dries out ants body and imbalancing their chemistry.
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Professional Prevention Of Ants
The most effective and safe way to eliminate ants around the interior and exterior of your home is to call a pest control professional. The experience and know-how that a pest control specialist has paired with the right products and tools is a deadly combination guaranteed to get the job done. Before you contact a pest control specialist, consider how rain affects pest control.
Home Made Ant Killers Vs Professional Products
If you want to completely get rid of the ants in your lawn you need to target the source. In other words, the nest.
There are a few ways to kill ants nests which include home remedies and specific ant killers. Home remedies have their drawbacks and Id recommend you use a proper ant killer but in the interest of being thorough, Ill cover both.
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How To Eradicate Anthills
Physically speaking, it is not very hard to get rid of an anthill. If the mound has been fairly recently constructed, it could be as simple as knocking it down with a rake or sweeping it away with a broom. If hardened and more mature, it may take a shovel and a little more elbow grease to eliminate the structure.
The problem lies in the fact that once you get rid of the physical evidence, it will likely reappear due to the ants tunneling further into the earth and depositing more dirt at the surface. The true way to eradicate anthills in your yard is by eradicating the ants themselves.
How To Get Rid Of Ant Hills From Your Lawn
Ants don’t pose an existential threat to most garden and, in fact, often help keep them in order.
But some people will find the nests pose issues when populations explode every spring.
The insects sometimes find their way indoors or burrow through some of their carefully cultivated plants and flowers.
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Soap And Water Will Get Rid Of Ants
Soap and water are the most common cleaning substances that you can also use to clean out the ants in your beautiful lawn. Be sure to use eco-friendly soap so that your grass will not be adversely affected.
Just mix the biodegradable soap with water and put the mixture in a spray bottle and spray away. Concentrate the spray on the ant nest and spread some on their trails as well. You can also dump a good amount of this mixture into the nest to drown out the whole colony.
How To Remove Ant Hills In Your Garden
If you have a garden, its important that you know how to get rid of ant hills without harming your vegetables. Many products that are available for killing ants outdoors are not suitable for garden use.
So whats the best way to remove ant mounds in your garden?
- Use boric acid and sugarAdd a tablespoon of boric acid to a cup of sugar and mix them into a paste. Drop some of this paste near the ant hills, and anywhere else you see ants. The ants will take the poisoned sugar back to their queen, which will eliminate the entire colony.
- Use diatomaceous earthDiatomaceous earth can be safely used in food crop gardens. Sprinkle it on ant hills and around plants. This chalk-like powder will bind to the exoskeleton and spiracles of the ants, fatally dehydrating them in a couple of hours.
Are you looking for an ant repellent? Read this article to find out how to repel these unwanted visitors.
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How To Get Rid Of Ant Hills
The best way to kill ant hills is by wiping out the whole colony. For this to happen, youll need to kill the queen ants, who usually reside two to three feet below the ground.
Ant nests can last for many years, with worker ants excavating it, fighting off any predators, and feeding their queen and larvae. Dont allow the nests to give you endless grief by using one of the solutions below.
Ants In Lawn: How To Get Rid Of Ants In Lawn
Ants are not categorized as dangerous pests but larger infestations of them can cause havoc in your lawn or garden. Several species of field ants are infamous for the rapid establishment of their colonies and can cause major damage in fields or gardens. To avoid structural and economic damage, there is a need to take necessary measures beforehand.
For getting rid of the ants in your lawn you can use different natural or chemical methods. What method you are going to use depends on the area and the level of infestation.
How to get rid of ants in the lawn? For getting rid of the smaller ant infestation in the lawn, you can use natural methods such as repellents, diatomaceous earth, and borax. For larger infestation, treat the lawn with liquid insecticides or ant baits. Ant baits are used to eradicate entire ant colonies and are very effective.
To control and prevent the ant colonization of your lawn, maintain the health of your lawn, and keep the trash away. If you see any ant mounds or anthills, quickly get rid of them before they cause a serious problem. Take strict measures to avoid the expected structural damage of your lawn.
Ants are mostly attracted to your lawn because of food like honeydew, meat, aphids, bugs or they are in search of a water source and in some cases the shelter. Its easy to control them at the earlier stages of infestation. The established colonies of ants have the capability to proliferate at a horrendous speed.
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How To Control Ants In Lawns Naturally
Since ants form social communities, which can live in an area just a few inches wide or a space many feet across, ant populations and their associated problems will vary. If you have one of the huge groups entrenched in your lawn, steps need to be taken to eradicate the insects.
Killing ants in your lawn is tricky business because children and pets use the area for play and traversing the garden. You can try a 3 percent solution of dish soap with water as a spray for an infested area.
Other possible treatments include diatomaceous earth or a borax and sugar water spray. Unless the infestation is particularly troublesome, the best remedy is to live with these beneficial insects. Most ants eat the larvae of lawn pests that they find amongst the roots of the grass. This is a win-win for the grass lover.
Will They Return After You Kill Them
If you destroy their new habitat, the ants obviously wont return. However, this doesnt mean that your lawn will be 100% immune to in the future. A nice and soft lawn is irresistible for ant queens! The ants may return, but it may take several months or years for this to happen. And if they do come back again in the future, at least you know what to do!
Now that youre aware of several methods you can use to kill ants on your lawn, you should be able to keep your home ant-free, particularly if youre not fond of destroying ant hills. If you have multiple ant hills on your lawn, you should consider consulting a professional before choosing the best pest control solution.
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What Is An Ant Hill
Sometimes referred to as ant mounds, an ant hill is an above-ground structure resembling a small hill or mound made of dirt. These may resemble tiny piles of dust or massive outdoor stalagmites. While generally harmless, they can be an eyesore. Having them close to your home may also mean the risk of an invasion.
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Animal populations, including those of insects, explode during the warmer months between April and July. Many people will celebrate this spring cornerstone while out in nature and amongst the pleasant weather. But ant hills pose more of an issue, as gardeners may find they erupt and scar regions of their well-cultivated lawns.
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