I suggest the following procedure for eliminating ant mounds in lawns. First, rake the ant mound down level by spreading the dirt to the surrounding area. Wait several days to see if the ants rebuild the mound. If they do, you can chose to use an insecticide to reduce the population rather than fight the mound with repeated raking. After the mound has been raked level, sprinkle a small amount of diazinon granules or Sevin dust onto the area.
Source: Ant Control in Lawns - Iowa State University
Hardiness Zone: 5a
Buttercup from Michigan
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf63572362.tip.html
Once you figure out how to get your ant problem under control, consider ways to prevent problems from reoccurring in the future. There are several good brands of sealers and joint sand stabilizers on the market. These are designed specifically to keep weeds and ants from taking up residence in between the cracks of landscaping pavers. Although I have not thoroughly researched individual brands, several claim to be environmentally friendly and seem like a good, long-lasting alternative to using chemicals.
Good luck!
Ellen
sprinkle with oatmeal. The ants eat it and swell up and die.
I use the sugar-borax mixture dissolved in a little water and soak cotton balls. Put these on the anthills, or in a jar with holes poked in the lid and placed on the side so ants can get in. It takes a while, but they take the food back with them and the colonies are killed off.
Try pouring boiling water on the hill. Since the hill is located on/near a paved surface, the hot water won't make dead spots on your lawn, but it will kill the ants.
I find that each type of ant is attracted to something different...sugar or proteins. The tiny black ones in Texas are "sugar" ants, as are the lightest red ones.
But the "small red" ones that are really aggressive when stirred, are protein hunters. Pharoah ants are
similar to Carpenter ants in appearance but more "playful" and lively. Carpenter ants are after termites which are full of cellulose, I understand, often eating into the termite trails of wood as well. Pharoah ants are fairly harmless eating dead bugs mostly, cleaning up the garden. The sugar ants are harmless as well, I hear.
The huge FIRE ANTS and the medium fire ants are
easy to recognize because they are fighters and are darkest red in color, stinging to protect and defend their territory,often bullies to smaller ants. All ants don't need eradication, you know, because many perform a good function.
One might checktheir children and their own habits to see if any of them are dropping popcycle sticks, candy pieces, bubble gum, sugared gum, fruit, or juices/colas, ice cream, chocolate,etc in the paths/yard/garden.Once this is corrected, one might not find many ants because they will have nothing with which to support themselves and their queen . If we just concentrate on those that hurt
humans we can also try to make peace with the others and teach our children the same? (I hope I am remembering my temporary workdays at a pest control center correctly after several years of absence.)
We are to have dominion over all creatures
on the Earth, according to the Holy Bible, but not destroy them all, as many who don't understand this do. Some laws have gone ridiculously overboard protecting some creatures, and I don't advocate
protecting creature life over human life. God clearly
describes how we are to learn from even the lowly ant
as to working a lot, teamwork, harvesting, and storing for times when we may not be able to do so. He obviously created the ant with purpose in mind, don't you agree?He certainly speaks of the ant often. Good luck and God bless you and yours.
Any ideas on how to get rid of ant hills in the lawn? This year my Mom and I both have really bumpy lawns, and we both seem to have been overrun with ants. I would like to be as natural as possible. I have tried hot water but they just seemed to come back.
Try hot soapy water. Dish wash soap works.
Sharon Martin
Canada
Pour aspertame down the ant hills. Ant's hate the stuff and it should get rid of them.
Put your used coffee grounds on the ant hills and they will leave.
Have i the answer for you. All those empty plastic bottle tops will come in handy with this recipe.
In a bowl mix equal parts of baking soda and icing sugar.
I have had real good luck with corn meal. Just sprinkle it around the mound and they eat it. Then they get liquid which swells the cornmeal and they die. Good Luck.
I use cleanser, like Comet or Ajax. Sprinkle it around the hole.
I tried everything: bleach, ammonia full strength. They disappeared and came back again. However, I tried full strength white vinegar. The haven't returned. It has been years now.
Give grits a try. Wait for a day that it won't rain. Sprinkle dry grits around the ant hill. The worker ants will come out, and take this to their queen as food. She will consume the grits, they will swell, and she will die. No queen, no workers.
Hope this helps.
Karen
How can I get rid of ant hills naturally?
Mary from Michigan
We have ant hills on our brick patio deck. A friend suggested pouring boiling hot water over them so the ants surface to the top. Do you know any other easy remedies? Anything that doesn't involve poison.
By Cindy Scotton from Suffield, CT
Is there an easy, cheap way to do away with the mounds of ants popping up? I've heard of several household products that are suppose to work and don't.
By Joe D
Squeeze bottle with Karo syrup 90% add about 10% 20 Mule team Borax (not boraxo or hand wash). Warm and shake until dissolved. Place squirt where ants go but not where pets or wildlife might eat it. The workers carry it back to nest and the queen is killed. Queens can live 20 years and produce many more queens.
How can I get rid of ant hills in my garden?
By Terry
How should I tackle removing the nest? It is approx. 18inches in diameter and approx. 15 inches high.
By Anne from Bristol
We have an ant hill about 3 feet high on our property. It is getting bigger. What do you recommend? Thanks.
By R Timmins
Many pesticides are harmful to the environment as well as the pests you are trying to eradicate. If you use boiling water for getting rid of ant hills it is completely safe and quite effective.
