How can I keep ants from destroying a yard?
by
DRob
+6
My front yard has two spots where the grass will not grow. This is because small black ants have made themselves
a nice little colony home in that area. They are very destructive little buggers, killing all the grass around their colony.
I have tried many different things over the years to solve the problem, from completely digging up the area and replacing the soil, to using different anti-ant recipes, but nothing seems to work. They always come back. This is a very sunny area, and there are no trees or bushes near this area causing any sort of shade.
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I had a colony of ants in my lawn right next to the concrete patio. what I did was spray carburetor cleaner on the ants and nest. It attacks their exoskeleton.
Amdro ant killer. it's a granular product that you sprinkle on the hill. the ants carry it to the queen and it will kill the entire nest. Once they are gone you can repair the damage. We get fire ants here, and they are nasty little buggers. They don't kill the grass but their bites cause intense pain and the poison will make a pustule where they bite. We don't give them a chance. I'm guessing you don't want to uses chemicals but sometimes it's the only thing that works. Amdro won't harm any other insect or animal.
You could try this cure. It's natural and won't hurt anything else.
https://www.hometalk.com/diy/outdoor/pest-repeller/ants-safe-and-effective-cure-36651130?r=2
Ants: Safe and Effective Cure
MYTH: Cinnamon kills ants.
TRUTH: Ants don’t like cinnamon but unfortunately it doesn’t kill or repel them.
MYTH: Vinegar kills ants.
TRUTH: Vinegar just removes the smell/trace of ants. While it may help confuse or throw off the rest of the colony, vinegar alone might not be enough to rid your home of these bothersome insects.
MYTH: Boiling water repels ants.
TRUTH: If – and only if – the water is boiling will it kill the ants that it is poured on. However, it will not repel future ants from invading your home.
MYTH: Ants won’t cross a chalk line.
TRUTH: A chalk/powder line may temporarily stop the ants (it’s the smell that “ disrupts the scent trail”) but it won’t be long before they figure out a way around the chalk/powder. We probably don’t have to tell you, but ants are very persistent creatures!
MYTH: Uncooked grains, like oatmeal,cornmeal or grits, will kill ants by expanding in their stomachs and then exploding.
TRUTH: Despite popular belief, there is no evidence that ants can be killed off by dumping grains in or around the “hive.” What we do know is that only the oldest members of an ant colony can digest solid food. The adult, worker, and reproductive ants, can only digest liquids.
And the biggest ant control myth of all?
As long as you kill or remove the ants you can see, your problem is solved. To be really be rid of them I suggest either Boric Acid mixed with cornmeal or Amdro ant bait sprinkle a little of the bait besides trail ( not directly on it they will get disrupted and leave or not pick up bait)they carry bait to nest and it kills entire colony. Amdro works fast 2-24 hrs. huge colony gone.it is poison as is Boric Acid but just cover with something til the next day don't mess with/block their trail tho' so they carry bait back to colony quickly.if you use liquid bait it kills the working ants before they get back to colony so the trail is gone they just start a new one to & from colony elsewhere.So you only think you have killed them off.
I use packaged cornbread mix that says it is sweetened and put it where they are. They will take it to the mound, everyone will eat it and die, they can't digest the cornmeal, but will take it because it is sweetened. Little goes a long way.
I read this from : Itsmemic
Medicated powder from the Dollar Tree. It has eucalyptus in it...menthol...I puff it around my homes foundation..and inside under my birdcages in the cracks under moldings. Work immediately and they never come back. I do this at the first sign of ants..in one day..GONE. The powder is in a very large container and lasts quite awhile too !! And smells great !
Not toxic to my birds OR dog
What if you make a barrier around the house.
I did some research, since we know what works for one person doesn't always work for another. I found this site and it's pretty informative. I know some tips you may not be able to use but there are some good ones also that will hopefully help.
https://www.familyhandyman.com/pest-control/how-to-get-rid-of-ants/view-all/
Ants are so weird. One time I found them inside the freezer in the garage!! What would possess them to go inside a freezer only to die? They must have sent signals back or something ~ there were no ant trails only a freezer full of dead ants. Hasn't happened since.
Ant Spray - https://www.hometalk.com/diy/outdoor/pest-repeller/cheap-easy-homemade-ant-spray-31195184?
Cheap & Easy Homemade Ant Spray