Why Do I Have Ant Hills In My Yard
When looking for a way to destroy ant hills, its good to have some basic understanding of the makeup of the hills themselves. Contrary to popular belief, the ants dont usually live in the mounds you see in your yard.
Ants build a network of tunnels and chambers deep into the ground to shelter their colonies and store food. As they dig, they carry the displaced soil particles out of the burrows. The mound of dirt you see above the ground is the entrance and exit to an underground ant colony.
Flattening out an ant mound usually results in another one popping up after a few days. Thats because the ants will start rebuilding shortly afterward.
Cultural Care And Landscaping
Keeping a well-maintained lawn and landscape helps control unwanted pest problems, including a black ant infestation. This includes removing any debris — such as woodpiles and trash — from your yard, where ants can make their nests. Regularly remove and dispose of any fallen fruit or vegetables from plants and wash out sticky containers — such as soda cans and jelly jars — before placing them in the garbage. Also, trim all tree and shrub branches that are 6 inches or closer to your home. This provides a bridge for the ants that allows them to enter your home.
Approaching Fire Ant Treatment
Treating your entire yard and targeting individual mounds will provide the most thorough, long-lasting fire ant control. Many different approaches exist, but you don’t need multiple products for effective treatment. With Over’n Out!® Advanced Fire Ant products, you can feel comfortable and confident treating individual mounds and broadcast-treating your full yard using the same easy-to-use product.
The main differences between broadcast and mound treatments are your goals, the quantity of Over’n Out!® Advanced Fire Ant Killer needed, and the way you apply it. Broadcast treatment starts killing fire ants on contact and protects against new invasions for up to six months. Mound treatment kills mounds in 15 minutes, and kills queens within 24 hours, guaranteed.
This simplified two-step response provides the most complete fire ant protection for your home and family. Applied to fit your goal, Over’n Out!® Advanced Fire Ant Killer delivers fast, effective, long-lasting control.
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Use Sunday Pest Control Products
Reaching for Sunday Pest Control Products is a more environmentally responsible approach for ants that are hard to remove. Ant Adios, Fire Ant Fighter, and Bug Doom are outdoor products that can effectively remove harmful ants in a few applications. Bug Doom also has an indoor application that is safe for use to control some ant species when used as directed. Check out our Smart Pest Plan products for what product would work best for your ant issue.
How To Eliminate Stubborn Established Ant Colonies
When removing food and water sources just is not enough, it may be necessary to try introducing elements that would further deter the pests from setting up residence. There are plenty of natural and chemical means of deterring ants that are both effective and safe if used properly. These products can help you reclaim your territory and give you back the lush, green lawn you worked so hard for.
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How Can I Kill The Ants
Homeowners who want to kill the ants in their yards rather than repel them often turn to diatomaceous earth . DE is the skeletal remains of tiny marine organisms. Its available for use in a food grade variety as well as a variety intended for use in swimming pools.
Use food grade DE against your ants. Use it dry, not wet. The very sharp DE particles will cut the bodies of the ants, causing them to die. It may take a week or so to kill all ants.
They Arent All the Same
Although there are thousands of kinds of ants, only a few species settle in your yard. These are:
- Pavement ants small black or brown ants that like greasy and protein foods as well as sugary food. Read more here.
- Carpenter ants large ants that can be red or black. They prefer damp wood and will destroy structural parts of your house. Please see detailed descriptions here.
- Fire ants small to large red ants with a painful sting. For more info about how to get rid of fire ants check out this article.
- Odorous ants medium-size brown and black ants that love sugar. for more information about best way to get rid of sugar ants.
Common types of ants
Outdoor Ant Control: Killing Ants In The Lawn
Do you have an ant problem in your yard?
The following question came from a reader through Spring-Greens Ask the Lawn Care Expert Q & A.;Read to learn how Harold suggests removing an ant problem in your yard.
Dear Lawn Care Expert, I have patches of slightly dry, yellow grass amongst healthy green grass. When I dug up one of the yellow patches, there was a large amount of ants underneath! Can the ants damage the grass roots? What chemicals can I use to best treat this problem? Thanks in advance.
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Best Ant Killer For Lawns
- INSECT KILLER: Kills listed surface insects including grubs,…
- 3 MONTH PROTECTION: Kills listed soil insects for up to 3 months
- USE ON: Soil and turf lawns and around the home
- PLUS MOSQUITO KILLER: Kills mosquitos in addition to 30 other…
- COVERAGE AREA: Treats up to 5,334 square feet
The TERRO Ant Killer Dust can kill the ants instantly. Moreover, it provides long-lasting pests protection for up to 8 months. It comes with an advanced waterproof formula that will not wash out in the rain. The ant killer dust can be used for both indoor and outdoor pest control.
BioAdvance Fire Ant Killer Dust
The BioAdvance Fire Ant Killer Dust is one of the best ways to get rid of the ants in your lawn. It has great potential to eradicate the entire ant colony right after contact. You can sprinkle it by using the applicator on top of the mounds or ant trails. The 16-ounce pack of ant killer can treat up to 130 mounds. No water is required to activate the insecticide powder.
Combat Max Ant Killer Gel is a strongly recommended ant killer for lawns and gardens. The easy to use gel can be injected near a hole and entry points of ants using the syringe. The gel can be used as bait to eradicate the entire ant colonies in 3 to 5 days. Its powerful formula has the potential to exterminate the ant colony within just hours.
Tip # : Using Mp Fertilizer And Water:
In this circumstance, MP fertilizer with water can give you the best result to solve your problem. Apply the following recipe. The recipe is as below:
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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.
Cornmeal & Boric Acid
Contrary to popular belief, cornmeal does not kill ants, by exploding them or otherwise. Ants are pretty keen on cornmeal, Spicer says, so spreading too much of it around might worsen your infestation.
You can, however, weaponize cornmeal in your fight against ants by mixing it with boric acid, a cousin to Borax thats available online and at home improvement stores. Mix nine parts cornmeal with one part boric acid, adding a generous helping of soybean oil or peanut butter to create a paste. Place the homemade bait near gaps and crevices, anywhere ants are on the march.
Like borax , any bait containing boric acid should be kept away from kids and animals.
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Clean Up Or Eliminate Food And Water Sources
Ants love compost piles, trash , and any kind of organic waste, especially if its sugary or sweet. Be sure to clean areas around your trash, compost, and recycling bins indoors, and store the outdoor trash, compost, and recycling bins away from both your house and lawn. A few more ant-free friendly tips:
- Use a wet, soapy sponge to remove ant pheromone trails inside the house.
- Pick up any dropped food when hanging outside near your home .;
- Ensure your homes downspouts and gutters are functioning properly so that water flows away from your houses foundations, reducing the risk of creating standing water .
SUNDAY PRO TIP: Cats and dogs can inevitably invite ants into your home, so store dry pet food in a sealed plastic container and not the bag it comes in, and keep the area around your pets feeding bowls clean so they dont become food sources for ants.
Chemical Means Of Ant Prevention
Sometimes, it takes a more serious approach to eliminate an ant colony. Boric acid can be highly effective in killing the entire colony of ants. When mixed with a desirable food source, ants will partake in the food as well as bring it back to the nest, which eventually poisons the entirety of the colony. When poisonous products are used, it is imperative to pay attention to the manufacturers instructions for safe use.
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Cinnamon Leaf Essential Oil
Compounds in cinnamon leaf essential oil, including trans-cinnamaldehyde, have been found effective at killing and repelling ants, including biting red ants.
Anecdotal evidence indicates powdered cinnamon is also effective at repelling ants. Try saturating cotton balls with the oil and leaving them where youve seen ants, or sprinkling the powder around on windowsills and baseboards.
Health food stores often carry cinnamon leaf essential oil. You can also find it online.
Spray Anthills With Vinegar
One of the best things that you can do is use vinegar to keep ants from wanting to come in your yard again.
If you can find the anthill where the ants came from, then you can easily spray a bunch of vinegar in the anthill. Ants cant stand vinegar and itll kill them really well but there are some potential problems to consider with this option.
The first thing to note is that vinegar has the potential to be harmful to the nearby vegetation. If the anthill happens to be near some plants that you would like to save, then you might wish to hold back since the plant could be damaged by the vinegar that youre spraying.
Vinegar is quite potent and it can even damage the topsoil if you spray a whole lot of it.
Youre likely going to have to spray quite a bit of vinegar if youre trying to kill a colony of ants. Just be aware that this can cause issues for plants so that you can be prepared for that.
To get the best results, youre going to want to mix up vinegar and water into a spray bottle in equal parts.
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What Are The Best Ways
The best ant killers dont necessarily have to be chemical based. Organic killers are also efficient at eradicating ant colonies, and they do so without harming humans, animals, and the environment.
With the many rumors floating online, you can easily waste your time on an ant hill solution that doesnt work. For instance, some sources describe coffee grounds as an excellent organic ant hill killer. Nothing could be further from the truth. While they block the entryways to the nests, they dont kill the ants on contact.
Separate fact from fiction by learning about the best ant killer for your home here.
Which Ants Do You Have Types Of Ants To Look For
Understanding the type of ant you are dealing with is essential.
Many common species are susceptible to ant killers. But a few are exceptionally hardy and require specially formulated products to eradicate them.
So you need to know the species of ants in your lawn, before you can tackle and get rid of them.
Here are the common types of ant you may encounter in your yard and on your lawn:
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Home Made Ant Killers
When it comes to killing off a nest, there are numerous home remedies that get recommended on the web. The problem is, they often dont work immediately, dont work at all, or have other side effects.
These include;
Pour Boiling Water into an Ants Nest
This is the most widely known way to kill a nest. Simply find as many entrances as you can and pour boiling water into them.
The issue is that this;
Use Dishwasher Liquid and Olive Oil
Another common method is to mix washing up liquid with olive oil and water. This penetrates the ants exoskeleton and suffocates it.
Again though, it can take a while to work and the detergent can bleach the grass, making it paler than the rest of the lawn.
Put Boric Acid and Sugar on Your Lawn
The idea behind using Boric Acid and sugar is that you mix it into a paste and put it on certain areas o of your lawn near the nest. The sweet sugar attracts the ants and they;take it back to the nest for the colony to feed on. Then the Boric Acid kills the ants.
The problem with this approach is that it needs to be mixed very precisely. If you dont use enough Boric Acid, you wont kill the ants. Use too much and youll kill the ant that takes it before its reached the nest. Youll also kill the grass.
Pour White Vinegar Onto a Nest
Many people recommend pouring a litre of white vinegar onto an ants nest.
Natural & Home Made Methods Vs Artificial Methods
Killing ants in your lawn can either be done via natural &homemade methods or artificial methods. If you want to eliminate the ants in your home, you first need to target the source. In this case, the nest. There are several ways to destroy ant nests; this includes natural methods or using specific chemicals to kill these ants.
Using home remedies has its drawbacks, and sometimes itsslower. On the other hand, chemicals are effective but may end up destroyingyour lawn. But in the interest of being comprehensive, Ill cover both methodsof killing ants in your lawn.
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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.
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.
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