Question: Getting Rid Of Ant Beds
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.
Best Answer
Squeeze bottle with Karo syrup 90% add about 10% 20 Mule team Borax . Warm and shake until dissolved. Place squirt where ants go but not where pets or wildlife might eat it.
Hardiness Zone: 5a
Buttercup from Michigan
Is There A Natural Way To Destroy Ant Hills
There are several natural substances and deterrents that you can use to deal with your outdoor ant problem. They offer the least expensive method of destroying ant hills.
Lets find out what these natural solutions are:
- Carbonated waterThe carbon dioxide in carbonated water displaces the oxygen in the ant nest. This suffocates the lower levels of the nest, killing the queen. Depending on how deep the nest runs, you may have to pour a liter of the water or more over the hill.
- Pipe tobacco and waterAn excellent way of destroying ant colonies is using nicotine-infused water. The same pipe tobacco that can harm your health can also affect ants. It can quickly eliminate a colony. Soak the tobacco overnight. Discard the wet tobacco in the morning and pour the liquid over the ant hills.
How To Exclude Ants From Your Paved Areas
These techniques dont really exclude ants from the whole paved area they just stop ants from digging into the dirt and sand from in between the pavers, as they build their nests.
Applying a long lasting insecticide to the dirt in between the pavers will kill any ants already present and either kill or repel other ants tempted to start digging. The gaps in between the pavers is best treated with a long lasting liquid insecticide, such as PestXpert Outdoor perimeter. It is important to treat every crack and crevice apply enough insecticide to thoroughly soak the dirt.
The length of protection provided by such treatments depends on the level of exposure to sun and rain. Typically, such techniques should prevent ants digging up the paved areas for around 2-3 months, after which the area would need to be re-treated.
Re-treating is important, as the treatments are not designed to kill ant nests. Certainly any nests outside the treated area will be looking to move in as soon as the treatment wears off. This is why treatments to eliminate nests are also a good idea.
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Tip: Removing Ant Mounds In Lawns
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.
Can Pavement Ants Hurt My Home
While ants chilling on your patio can be annoying and even gross if you enjoy walking around barefoot, you may be wondering if these little pests can cause structural issues to your patio or even your home. Although highly inconvenient, no, these ants do not cause structural issues to your home. As their names suggest, they typically nest beneath concrete slabs, gravel, pavement, etc. They dont nest in or eat wood like carpenter ants, so no worries!
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How To Find Your Anthill
To find an anthill, you have to follow the ants and notice which hole they enter. The anthills are usually difficult to find and more when you have them inside your home. It may be easy for you to locate an anthill outside your home because its access is a bit more obvious.
The only solution you have to find anthills is by following these insects when they carry food. When the ants are active, they pass 6 pm where they are motivated to look for food. During the day, ants tend to lose their performance due to the heat and predators presence.
Eliminate Ants In Your Yard Permanently With Amco Ranger Termite And Pest Solutions
Even if you are able to identify the nest and use one of the above treatments, there is no guarantee they will not return. Ants are industrious, quickly rebuilding and repopulating colonies. To get rid of them permanently, call in the experts at Amco Ranger Termite and Pest Solutions.
We pride ourselves on providing the best service in the industry and back our work with a 100 percent customer satisfaction guarantee. Do not let ants ruin your yard or give them the opportunity to enter your home. Reach out and call or contact our Missouri ant control experts online today. Request a free, no-obligation ant inspection to locate colonies in your yard and to discover ways to eliminate them completely.
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Mechanically Removing The Anthill
This should be easies part when getting rid of ant hills inyour yard. As soon as all the ants are dead including the queen, it is time tolevel the ground in your yard. You can even plant some flowers on it but justmake sure all the entry point are sealed to avoid another colony from emergingthere.
List of Sources:
Fast Fix No: Shake On Some Salt:
Ants hate salt, and it will kill them if they come into contact with it, because it dehydrates them to such an extent that they drink so much water it causes them to literally explode If you cant find the colony, a trail of salt along the existing cracks in your driveway can prevent them from exiting there.
They will still live underneath , and will probably exit elsewhere. You can do the same with other household cooking items, such as: cinnamon, pepper, chilli powder or curry powder.
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Which Option Have You Or Will You Try
Jacob Vaughn on September 08, 2019:
Great article! One problem. I need to get rid of them humanely without killing them? I do not have a problem with them… except that when they are one my driveways and paths!?!? They spread seeds, are decomposers, control other insect populations, help areate the soil, and provide dinner for shrews, spiders, hornets, birds, and more. I just want them off my driveway and paths?!?! Help???
Irene sheridan on June 09, 2018:
I have used Grits on my patio to get rid of ants. This is the end best way to rid your yard of these pesky critters. After a few days I noticed an extremely large amount of ants gone. By the next season, none at all. It’s been 3 years now and have to do it again. A few new ant hills but I know I can get rid of them. Now to do the driveway…
KARENLEE on February 08, 2018:
CHEAPEST BRAND OF SOAP POWDER OR FLAKES…
BURNS THEM.!
bernadette on May 12, 2016:
the cornmeal and grits sounds the best to me. I also pour kitchen salt in the cracks of the cement. Works for a while anyway.
Use Insect Repellent Plants
You can also build a shield at home by planting ant-repelling clumps like lavender. It is good that you do enough research to find out what types of plants do not tolerate ants so that you can plant them. You have to be the protector of your home against ants and their colonies that can be armed inside or outside the house.
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What You Should Know About Pavement Ants And How To Get Rid Of Them
Pavement ants are one of the most common ant species homeowners encounter in the United States. Pavement ants are a soil-nesting species, and are known for burrowing underneath sidewalks, driveways, and building slabs, dumping the soil they’re digging onto the pavement. They are not much of a nuisance unless they show up at your cookout or picnic.
What Is Inside An Ant Hill
On the most basic level, ant hills are simply a pile of dirt . But many ant species have developed far more complicated building techniques.
Ant mounds may contain gravel or small pebbles, leaves, pine needles, sand, and even tree resin. Some exotic species even mix sand and tiny sticks with mud to make a form of adobe for their entrances. Survivalists will sometimes break these mounds for use in their own building materials.
Larger ant hills may also contain chambers for the workers to bring larvae up on warmer days, and may contain a single tunnel to the entrance or a small network of tunnels. They may even contain storerooms so workers have access to food, which theyll then move between galleries as needed.
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How To Get Rid Of Ant Hills: A Complete Guide
By now you probably have done your fair share of research and discovered that no matter how much you prevent ants from entering your home, the ultimate solution is to get rid of that anthill in your yard or garden. There are various ways of doing that, all of which will accommodate any type of yard owner.
So, how to get rid of ant hills? There are many effective methods for getting rid of the ant hills. The most simple method is pouring the boiling water over the ant hill, this will kill lots of the ants almost instantly but not their queen. A less invasive method is to apply boric acid over the entry points of the ant hills, it is toxic, and it will slowly kill the ants that came in contact with it. The most effective long term method is to place ant baits around your yard, specifically along pheromone trails where the ants are bound to find them.
After they carry the toxic bait back to the nest, the queen will consume it and the whole colony will die. Also, using aluminum casting is an interesting way of getting rid of the ant hills, but we will talk about this method later in the article.
Depending on the size of the ant hill we are going to recommend different solutions and products. Still, no matter how big of a problem you have with ants we are here to help you. Before we start with the step by step process on how to get rid of the ant hill we are first going to talk about them.
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.
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Pouring Aluminum Into Ant Hill: Is This A Good Way To Get Rid Of Them
Aluminum casting is certainly an interesting method but extremely costly and somewhat dangerous. It requires you to be very careful because you will be melting metal after all. We are going to include this method just because it is fun and with this method you can get an amazing work of art after the aluminum solidifies again.
Equipment you need for this process:
- As for the source of aluminum, you can use soda cans because they are easy to find, they are free and they melt really fast. You can also choose to scavenge the junkyard for aluminum objects for your project.
- Create or buy a forge/hearth/fireplace for heating the metal.
- A melting pot where the aluminum items go into before placing on the forge .
- A fire extinguisher
- Tongs
- Sand
Get all your items together and then as soon as the fire is hot, place on it your pot containing the aluminum. Remember aluminum melts on a temperature of 660.3 °C or 1220.54 °F. This means you need to be well-armed to protect yourself from any potential danger masks, apron, tongs, etc. Now shape the sand around the mound opening. The sand will act as a barrier to keep the molten aluminum from flowing away from the mound as you pour.
If the aluminum flows away from the mound opening, a fire could start, here is where you need the fire extinguisher. Also, ensure that the sand doesnt get into the hole because it could block it and keep the molten aluminum from flowing freely through the tunnels.
Recipes For How To Get Rid Of Ants Outside With Borax
If you find yourself having an outdoor ant problem every year, try at least one of these recipes for the ultimate ant control.
- Water
If you know youre going to be making this recipe, start saving several old, plastic receptacles like cream cheese and butter containers. Poke several small holes in the lids of the containers.
In a separate bowl, mix Borax and sugar and then divide equally among plastic containers. Put warm water and mix one teaspoon of peanut butter into each trap. Secure the lid with the holes with its appropriate bottom and set traps around the home and next to areas with noticed ant activity.
Sugar ants are persistent in raiding our homes. Youll often see these ants in your kitchen cupboards trying to haul away our food supply. This sweet sugar water mixture attracts sugar ants and traps them for good.
These traps are also successful in getting rid of gnats outside if you have an outdoor lunch or dinner. Set a few traps surrounding your eating area and enjoy a meal without having to swat away annoying flying insects.
- Water
Combine equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray the solution around your doors and window sills to deter ants. You can kill the ants immediately by applying the spray directly to their bodies.
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How To Locate Your Ant Hill
Ant hills can be found anywhere in your garden. They can beseen anywhere in your yard, this where an ant colony decides to stay. Before decidingon the ways to remove ant hills, the best tactic is finding the hill. It is asimple move yet very effective that will require you to place ant baits where youâvenotice ant invasion.
The ant bait is to help you know or find where the ants arecoming from. You have to be patient and wait one of the ants to bring some ofthe bait back to the mound. Better still, you can follow the antsâ trail tolocate the nest. Ants generally tend to follow a certain path based on their pheromonesto help other ants to follow them safely back to the mound. If you follow thispath, it could get you to the hill.
Containing The Colonies: Keeping Ants Out Of Your Pavers And Outdoor Kitchen
Beautiful walks and an outdoor food prep/eating space are the most welcoming elements of an outdoor living space. The last guests a homeowner wants to invite over is a colony of ants. A few preventative steps and treatments can help you keep your pavers and kitchen clear of these uninvited pests.
Wipe down the surfaces often. Cleaning your outdoor kitchens surfaces of food or spills on a frequent basis is the most important strategy in the fight against ants. Ants can learn where sugar sources typically reside and will return to those sites looking for new food. Preventing the ants from learning where you prepare and cook food goes a long way in keeping your counters ant-free. Usually the counters can be cleaned with a mild soap and water, but check your manufacturers recommendation. Dont neglect the vertical spaces like kick plates and cabinet doors. Spills hit those areas too.
Empty trash frequently. If your cabinetry contains a trash drawer, tie the bag until it is ready for removal. Clean up any spills in the drawer and wipe it down often.
Use a 50/50 vinegar/water solution to kill insects. Outdoor kitchens are weatherproofed, meaning the water will drain off the countertop safely. The solution is safe for food prep areas. Avoid spraying ant killer where food is prepared and served.
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Preventing An Ant Infestation
While using borax to get rid of ants is a very effective home remedy, an easier way would be to prevent the ant infestation from happening. This can be easily done by making sure to follow the preventative measures listed below:
- Wash all dirty dishes after use
- Clean sink and cupboards, making sure to remove all crumbs and leftover food particles
- Store food in locked/airtight containers,
- Sweep & mop floors regularly, removing all crumbs and leftover food
- Dispose of the garbage regularly
- Add Bay Leaves or Mint sprigs in cupboards
- Use Apple Cider Vinegar as a cleaning agent
Next time you wake up to a trail of ants on your kitchen counter, whip up one of these simple and easy to make ant solutions, and theyll be gone in no time!
They Also Indirectly Affect Your Garden As A Whole
Ants like to feed off Honeydew which is secreted by Aphids as they feed on plant sap.
To keep a constant supply of Honeydew, ants protect aphids from predators like Ladybirds and tend to their ongoing needs. This protection often causes an increase in aphid activity all over your garden. This, in turn, leads to plants being damaged as theyre used as a source of food.
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