Ants are one of the common yet annoying sights in a garden. They gather and multiply so fast, and in one snap away, you’ll see them building ant hills that quickly!
No one wants ant hills in a garden. Aside from their bites that can cause skin irritation, they also affect the soil and disturb the roots of plants. So, if you came here to learn how to get rid of ant hills, you’ve come to the right place!
Before learning how to get rid of ant hills, let’s learn more about ants!
Ants belong to the Formicidae family, together with bees and wasps. You won’t believe it, but there are over 22,000 ant species worldwide, and almost 13,800 are classified.
One amazing thing about ants is that they are everywhere, and they are considered to be social insects. That means they’re almost everywhere and live in colonies. They also do not have ears and are the fastest in the animal kingdom.
Ants and their ant hills
If you ever wonder why ants build ant hills, there is one main reason. They want their queen, together with their larvae, safe.
The ant hills are typically made by worker ants digging tunnels. They also build it strategically by choosing good places like inside the tree logs, on the roots of the trees, and under the stones.
But one thing is for sure. They aim for a solid structure so they can get the utmost protection.
You might wonder what ant hills are made of, right? Here’s the answer. Ant hills are typically made of the following.
- Sand
- Clay
- Dirt
- Twigs
Ants do not choose stones or gravel in building their hills.
Another thing to note is that not all species of ants build ant hills. There are only particular ant hill builders, and these are the following.
- Formica ants
- Yellow meadow ants
- Fire ants
- Harvester ants
- Pyramid ants
- Argentine ants
- Allegheny mound ants
- Texas leafcutter
Steps on how to get rid of ant hills
Ant hills are inevitable, especially if your garden has trees, stones, or sweet plants that can attract ants. But there are ways how to get rid of ant hills! Here are some ways to try.
Option 1: How to get rid of ant hills using boiling water?
This is a simple, quick, and effective solution how to get rid of ant hills. Just boil water in a kettle. Find the ant hill, and pour it on the hill’s top.
The water will slowly run through the whole hill, flooding the colony. The temperature is enough to kill mazes, tunnels, and ants.
The only drawback of this technique is that those ants buried deeper will have time to evacuate when they sense the water.
Option 2: How to get rid of ant hills using D-Fense Dust?
D-Fense Dust is an insecticidal product that’s purposely for crevices, cracks, and entry points. It’s an effective solution for those hidden habitats of pests. But you can also use it to eliminate ant hills in your yard.
Get at least one tablespoon of D-Fense Dust and sprinkle it on top of the ant hill. However, you want to ensure the temperature is around 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit to achieve the best results
Likewise, do not disturb the Dust for about 3 to 4 days; just let it do the work. Lastly, do not use food utensils in this process.
Option 3: How to get rid of ant hills using granular insecticide?
There is available granular insecticide such as Bifen LP Granules. It can treat various ant species and is effective in getting rid of large infestations in a yard.
What’s great about Bifen LP Granules is that it targets worker ants striving to build ant hills. To use granular insecticide, you can use a hand or push spreader.
The ideal application of Bifen LP Granules is 2.3 pounds per 1,000 sq ft of the yard. It’s important to measure the footage of your lawn before applying granular insecticide.
Option 4: How to get rid of ant hills using boric acid?
Another way that’s pretty much the same on D-Fense Dust is boric acid powder. Sprinkle the boric acid power over the ant hill and let it do the whole work for you. Do not disturb the boric acid on ant hill.
Option 5: How to get rid of ant hills using carbonated water?
The use of carbonated water is an effective way to kill the ants buried deeper. But how does this chemical works?
The carbon dioxide present in it replaces the oxygen on the ant hill. The idea is simple, it suffocates the ant, killing them wherever they are on the mound.
Option 6: How to get rid of ant hills using Supreme IT insecticide?
Supreme IT is another insecticide effective in treating ant mounds. The main reason is that it has an active ingredient called Bifenthrin, which has a long residual effect.
The best method you can apply here is called the drench method, and here’s how to do it.
- Dilute one teaspoon of Supreme IT in a gallon of water.
- You’ll need at least 2 gallons in this process, so that’ll be two teaspoons of insecticide per 2 gallons of water.
- Put the solution in a sprayer.
- Spray the solution on top of the ant hill and let it flood the mound.
- Flooding the entire hill will eventually kill the queen and will stop reproduction.
Option 7: How to get rid of ant hills using soap?
The last method we have here is the solution of soap and water. We recommend using borax in this method.
Just achieve soapy water and if possible, use boiling water. However, ensure that you have enough water to guarantee that the whole colony will be drowned. Moreover, the sticky characteristics of soap will make it hard for ants to escape.
Prevention Tips
You can prevent your ants from building ant hills in your yard through these tips.
- Treat your garden quarterly with an insecticide like Supreme IT to scare ants.
- Ensure that your yard is clean and does not have messes like loose food.
- Make sure there are no stacked woods in your yard. Ants can use it to hide.
- Regularly check your yard to see if there are ant hill spots.
- Cleanliness is central to keeping your yard ant hill-free!
Get rid of ant hill today!
So, there you have it! There are different options on how to get rid of ant hills. Remember that deciding on what’s convenient and safe for you. For example, boiling and soapy water will do if you don’t have insecticide at home. Besides, if you have pets lingering in your garden, it’s better to opt for a safer way.
Getting rid of the ant hill is not a tough task, and you can avoid ants by ensuring a clean yard. So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to inspect your yard today and see if there are ant hill spots!