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
- Often takes several attempts
- This can result in wet, boggy areas in your lawn, and
- It can scald your grass causing it to turn brown
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.
Borax Based Ant Killers
Borax and boric acid products were traditionally used as cleaning aids and as a cutting agent in many household products.
They are also useful in the war against ants, and they are now the base for many pesticides. Borax, a naturally occurring chemical compound, is incredibly toxic to bugs, plants, and fungi.
Effective against many ant species, it comes in powder form mixed with other ant attractant additives. This helps to mask it as a food source and encourage ants to ingest it.
Using Ant Control Products
Use a multi-faceted approach. Place gel baits at key points where ants congregate. Lay down non-toxic granule baits along walls where ants trail. And have a spray can quick at hand for spot treatment.
There are a plethora of anti-ant products on todays market, and it is possible to concoct your own ant killers as well.
Here are 5 of the best products to kill red harvester ants:
1. TERRO T300B Liquid Ant Baits
Grab a few 12-packs and place them strategically indoors. Terro also makes an outdoor version of this lovely trap. Ants love it, but not for long.
My review for the best ant traps has more information.
2. Amdro Ant Block Granules
This product is specially designed as a perimeter shield to kill ants outside before they can get inside.
3. Advance Granular Ant Bait
Works great on harvester species as well.
4. Safer Brand Diatomaceous Earth
Kills ants and other noisome insects. Dust trails and ant hills and watch it work.
5. Raid Ant & Roach Killer Spray
Great for indoor targeted shots or even outdoor attacks on lines of ants marching on the trail.
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Recommended Reading And Faqs
Why shouldnt we kill lawn ants? What purpose do ants serve on lawns?
Ants are an element in the environment and there must be some purposes too. They are not always as harmful for lawns as we may think. Ants may serve many good purposes in your lawn.
- Ants aerate the lawn
- They turn dead animals into fertilizers
- They disperse your seeds
- They drive away herbivores
How do I get rid of an ant colony in my yard?
There are many ways to get rid of ants in your yard, but the most effective and sustainable way is to use a natural product and a professional ant control service. These companies use safe and proven methods to eliminate ants from your home or business.. Some of the best ant killers include:
Apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is a natural insecticide that can be used to kill ants on contact. Pour 1 cup of apple cider vinegar into a spray bottle and spray it around the ant nests. Repeat this process every few days until the ants are gone.
Borax. Borax is another effective and safe ant killer that can be used in various ways, including as a liquid solution or as a dusting powder. Simply mix one tablespoon of borax with 2 cups of water and pour it into a spray bottle. Spray the mixture around the ant colony and let it sit for several hours before wiping it off.
How do vegans get rid of ants?
How To Identify Fire Ants
The red imported fire ant or RIFA, is a species of ant that is native to South America. They are known for their large mounds and fiery sting. Fire ants are typically found in the southern, southwestern or western United States. They thrive in warm, dry environments.
Fire ants are not uniform in size. They range in length anywhere from 1/8 inches to 1/4 inches. They are reddish brown to reddish black and sport two nodes and 10 segmented antennae. Like carpenter ants and other ant species, fire ants live in colonies. They have a distinct social structure consisting of a queen, drones, worker ants and alates, or reproductives.
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Eliminate A Fire Ant Infestation
Although preventing fire ants is great, if fire ants have already made their way into your home, your focus is obviously going to be on elimination. Because fire ants can cause painful and dangerous bites, be sure to use extreme caution when attempting to rid fire ants. In fact, this is a job best left to professionals, but if youre looking to try your hand at some DIY options, here are a few methods you can try:
How To Get Rid Of Ants In A Yard
The simplest way to get rid of ants in the yard is by using everyday items youd find in and around the home. Examples include white vinegar, pepper, and salt. Each of these natural methods rids your yards of ants without exposing your kids and pets to any health risk or damaging the lawn in the process. Lets see some of them!
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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:
When To Call An Exterminator
Surachet Jo/Shutterstock
When is it okay to call for professional help in getting rid of ants in yards? When youve tried all other options, but the ants keep coming back, you might decide its time to bring in a professional exterminator. These pros have the necessary training and chemicals to eradicate the problem permanently.
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How To Get Rid Of Ants In Your Lawn
It might seem easy to get rid of ants in your backyard, but be sure youre not also getting rid of your grass at the same time! A lot of ant-killing chemicals can destroy your grass, creating yet another lawn problem. Home remedies for ants can help remove the problem without removing your grass.
Here are 5 ways to get rid of ants in your lawn:
Ants Eat Grass Seed Not Grass
If you have recently applied fresh grass seed to your lawn this could be a reason for a sudden infestation of ants as you have just supplied them with some of their favorite food. This is kind of tricky because if your lawn needs fresh seed there is really no other option than to spread them, if youre worried about ants maybe be a bit more conservative in your seed application.
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Types Of Ants Youll Find In The Grass
Several ant species can reside in your yard. The exact varieties depend entirely on your climate and location, but the most common are easy to identify in grassy yards.
Prevalent ant species in yards include the mound ant, the farming ant, and the army ant.
Mound ants, also known as field ants, are some of the worst to deal with. They create gargantuan nests that can span several feet. Luckily, most stick to empty fields. But if you have a big enough yard, you may spot their mounds forming.
Farming ants are known for their cultivation of aphids. Aphids produce honeydew, which is a delicacy for this species and many others. By farming the aphids, they are notorious for spreading plant diseases and causing garden infestations.
Army ants are the aggressive little brown pests that flock to decaying bugs and dropped food. Theyre impressive scavengers that like to move in large numbers while they search.
Another common lawn ant you might encounter is the fire ant. They are reddish-brown and have a very painful sting. Fire ants can form sizable colonies in well-aerated soil and dirt-filled environments.
Your lawn can also contain home-invading species. Carpenter ants , black ants, ghost ants, pavement ants, and pharaoh ants are all common.
Broadcast Application Of A Granular Insecticide
Some granular insecticides are available to the home applicator. These products are not baits, but can be broadcast over the entire area that is infested with fire ants. Since these products leave a chemical residue they may give longer-term control of the fire ant population. There are some limitations as to where they can be used so read the label carefully. Research seems to show that these products are relatively friendly to desirable native ant species, while reducing the fire ant population by 95 % or more. The disadvantages to these products are cost and they only control fire ants where you have directly treated. If you miss an area, fire ants can establish themselves. These products are best used when treating small areas, high levels of control are desired, or cost of treatment is not a major consideration.
Combining broadcast granular products with bait treatments is often a very productive strategy. This gives the longer-term control of the broadcast granular product and allows the bait product to control ants in areas that are missed or inaccessible to a granular treatment.
The final strategy for the management of fire ants is to hire a professional applicator. There are several high quality products available to commercial applicators that are not available to the general public. More importantly professionals are educated in the science and art of treating for fire ants what they know is more important than the products they choose.
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How To Get Rid Of Red Ants In Garden
We are familiar with these small insects- Ants. They are so common that most of the time we ignore them. Their presence has become obvious to us. They are the most successful creatures on our planet. They existed with Dinasours and survived the extinction. These small insects are found everywhere on the globe. They have conquered land more than we humans can ever imagine. Have you ever imagined, how to get rid of red ants completely?
All these seem like a textbook story. But trust me whether you like it or not, they are hiding in your garden. There are more than 10000 different types of ants identified to date. Their collective population is more than 20 times of total human population on earth. This clearly indicates ants are very successful in survival.
There is nothing to worry about with these stats. No, they are not going to invade our planet. They already have and we are living just fine.
The problem occurs only when their concentration increases in a certain area. Next, they start harming our plants, pets, and finally us. Now, this is the situation to worry about. Keep reading you want to get rid of red ants in your garden.
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Best Ant Killer For Lawns
- INSECT KILLER: Army worm killer. Also kills listed surface…
- 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
No products found.
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.
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How To Prevent Fire Ants
Ant infestations can be mitigated with the use of products, but treatment alone will only temporarily clear up the problem. To make sure ants dont return, you must take preventative measures to support the effectiveness of your selected treatment methods.
- Clean up outdoors. Regular and thorough outdoor maintenance can help keep ants at bay.
- Keep indoor areas clean and food-free. Limiting ants access to food will encourage them to move out. This may require taking additional steps beyond your normal cleaning routine.
- Eliminate standing water. Easily accessible water will encourage ants, so take steps to dry up any areas water may gather.
If you follow these guidelines, and keep up with preventative measures, you should be able to keep ants at bay. However, if the ant infestation gets worse, be sure to call a professional.
They Can Damage The Grass And Make Your Lawn Uneven
As ants excavate beneath the surface of your lawn, they create tunnels and galleries for their cohorts. As such, removed soil is left on the surface as ant hills.
Anthills make it challenging to cut the grass, which leads to an uneven cut. The blades will get stuck on the dirt, and the mower wheels will raise the blades as they roll over the top.
The excavated dirt covering your recently cut grass can deprive it of the sun and cause it to die. Leaving brown dead grass and eventually bald patches.
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How To Control Ants In Your Lawn
Im all for nurturing a healthy ecosystem, but sometimes you dont want to have an ecosystem crawling all over your picnic and up the leg of your shorts. In this blog, were looking at ways of controlling ants in your lawn.
Ants are amazing little creatures. They have truly sophisticated societies and are just as well organised and as busy as bees are.
In the garden, ants help to aerate the soil, to break down dead plant material and to eat pests such as mites and lava. They are fascinating insects and an important part of the ecosystem. But, as I said in the introduction, nobody welcomes an ecosystem invading their summer afternoon.
On a lawn, ants do very little direct damage. They dont seem to eat the grass or its roots. However, they do create ant hills. Mounds of earth that ruin the look of a lawn, make the surface uneven for mowing and potentially create areas of bare soil for weeds to colonise. For the most part, theyre a nuisance rather than a threat.
