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Ants in the yard how to get rid of


How to Get Rid of Ants in Your Yard and Home - Lawn Care Blog

Here’s the thing about ants: They never go away completely. And you don’t necessarily want them to. Ants help control other pest populations and enrich the soil. But you still shouldn’t have to deal with ants in your home or the parts of your yard where you spend time. 

So, what can you do? We’ll go over several methods for controlling your ant population, including natural remedies and commercial pesticides. Soon, you’ll know how to get rid of ants in your yard and home. 

Here’s everything we’ll cover in this guide:

How to get rid of ants without chemicals 

Pesticides should be a last resort for killing and preventing ants. There are plenty of eco-friendly, non-toxic, and cost-effective natural home remedies you can try first. 

Soapy water

ryan lee | Flickr | CC BY 2.0

How to use soapy water to get rid of ants: 

How it works: The soap kills ants by disrupting their cell membranes and breaking down the protective wax coating they need to survive. You can add canola oil or olive oil to the mixture to clog the ants’ spiracles (what they use to breathe) and suffocate them. 

Indoor or outdoor use? Soapy water is safe to use inside and outside. Don’t spray soapy water directly on your grass or plants, as the soap can damage some plants.

Ant species this method works for: All common pest species except wood-boring carpenter ants and acrobat ants already in the walls of a home.

White vinegar

Mike Mozart | Flickr | CC BY 2. 0

How to use white vinegar to get rid of ants: 

How it works: Vinegar doesn’t kill ants. Its strong smell disturbs the pheromones ants use to communicate and find their way to food sources and then back to the nest. Erasing the scent of those pheromones with vinegar will encourage ants to leave your home and yard alone. 

Indoor or outdoor use? Vinegar is best for indoor use. You also can use it outdoors in places far away from healthy grass and plants. Vinegar can harm plants and dry out the soil.   

Ant species this method works for: All common pest species except wood-boring carpenter ants and acrobat ants already in the walls of a home.

Diatomaceous earth (DE)

How to use DE to get rid of ants:

How it works: DE is made of microscopic crushed fossils. Even though the powder is harmless to humans and animals, those tiny pieces are razor-sharp to ants and other insects. They pierce the ants’ exoskeletons, which causes them to dehydrate and eventually die.  

Indoor or outdoor use? DE powder is safe to use anywhere. It’s non-toxic to humans and pets, and it won’t harm plants.  

Ant species this method works for: All common pest species except wood-boring carpenter ants and acrobat ants already in the walls of a home.

Borax / Boric acid

Sue Thompson | Flickr | CC BY-ND 2.0

How to use borax or boric acid to get rid of ants:

How it works: Borax and boric acid aren’t exactly the same thing, but they’re two different forms of the same compound, boron. They both disrupt ants’ digestive systems when ingested and eventually kill them.

Indoor or outdoor use? This method is best for indoors and driveways, patios, or other outdoor living spaces without plants or grass. While borax and boric acid have very low toxicity for humans and pets, they can both harm plants.

Ant species this method works for: All common pest species except wood-boring carpenter ants and acrobat ants already in the walls of a home.

Baking soda / Baby powder

Aqua Mechanical | Flickr | CC BY 2.0

How to use baking soda or baby powder to get rid of ants:

How it works: The tiny particles in baking soda and baby powder are just the right size to clog an ant’s spiracles (pores in their exoskeleton they use to breathe). Clogging the spiracles suffocates and kills the ant.

When ingested as bait, baking soda creates a reaction in the ant’s stomach that kills it. Foraging ants will carry the bait back to their colony, so even the ants underground (including the queen, potentially) will ingest the poison. 

Indoor or outdoor use? You can use baby powder anywhere since it won’t hurt you, your pets, or your plants. Baking soda can dry out your soil and grass, so we don’t recommend spreading it in the lawn or garden. Baking soda baits that don’t touch the grass are fine. 

Ant species this method works for: All common pest species except wood-boring carpenter ants and acrobat ants already in the walls of a home.

Boiling water

How to use boiling water to get rid of ants:

How it works: Boiling water simultaneously destroys the nest and kills the ants that come into contact with it. Because water cools down quickly underground, it may not reach the deepest parts of the colony (where the queen usually lives) while still hot enough to be fatal on contact. 

Indoor or outdoor use? Boiling water is only a reasonable solution for outdoor ant nests. Unfortunately, the hot water can kill your grass and create wet, soggy spots in the yard. Only use this method if the ant nest is located in a bare patch or in the middle of a paved area. 

Ant species this method works for: All common pest species nesting outdoors.

Drowning ants with your garden hose

Pexels

How to use a garden hose to get rid of ants:

How it works: The goal here is to fill the ants’ underground nest completely with water, drowning all the ants inside. Some ants can survive underwater for up to 24 hours, which is why you have to repeat the process. 

Indoor or outdoor use? Soaking an entire ant nest is only an option for outdoor ants. Beware that so much water can drown plants and create a soggy spot in your lawn.

Ant species this method works for: All common pest species nesting outdoors.

Create a barrier with natural repellents

How to use natural repellents to get rid of ants:

How it works: A barrier like this won’t kill ants, and it won’t do anything about the ants already in your space. But all these repellents have strong scents that interfere with the pheromones ants use to communicate and navigate. Ants will steer clear of those smells. 

Indoor or outdoor use? All the repellents listed above are non-toxic and safe to use indoors or outdoors. Note that vinegar can damage plants or grass, and spices might irritate your pets if they sniff them. 

Ant species this method works for: All common pest species except wood-boring carpenter ants and acrobat ants already in the walls of a home.

How to get rid of ants with chemicals 

When you’ve tried all the natural remedies you can think of and your ant infestation still persists, it’s time to turn to chemical insecticides. 

Remember that pesticides like these should be a last resort. They kill pollinators and other beneficial insects that actually help your lawn and garden. Pesticides in your lawn also can run off with the rain and pollute sources of drinking water.

Commercial ant baits

Forest and Kim Starr | Flickr | CC BY 2.0

How to use commercial ant baits to get rid of ants:

How it works: In general, commercial baits contain something ants want to eat mixed with a chemical that will kill them. Scout ants carry the food — and the poison with it — back to their colony, where all the ants, including the queen, will eventually eat it and die.

Indoor or outdoor use? Check the label on your bait’s package to find out if it’s safe to use indoors or only outdoors. All commercial ant baits contain toxic chemicals, so don’t place them somewhere a young child or pet can get to them. 

Ant species this method works for: All common pest species except wood-boring carpenter ants and acrobat ants already in the walls of a home; need special fire ant baits for effective fire ant control.

Commercial insecticides

How to use commercial insecticides to get rid of ants:

How it works: Different insecticides use different chemicals, which all kill ants in different ways. Non-bait pesticides only kill the ants that come in direct contact with them. 

Ant baits will take longer to work than contact insecticides but are usually more effective at taking out entire colonies. With contact pesticides, there’s less of a chance of killing the queen.

Indoor or outdoor use? Some insecticides are made for indoor use and some for outdoor use. Check the label. Again, always keep young children and pets away from chemical pesticides.

Ant species this method works for: All common pest species except wood-boring carpenter ants and acrobat ants already in the walls of a home; need special fire ant insecticides for effective fire ant control. 

Lawn care to prevent ants

Pixabay

You might be creating a perfect environment for ants without even knowing it. Ants like sparse lawns with lots of bare patches. You’re less likely to find ants in a dense lawn full of healthy, green grass.

Here are some lawn care tips to help you prevent ants from ever nesting in your yard in the first place:

About ants

If you want to know the best way to kill ants, you first have to understand how they live. 

Ant colonies

The most important thing to know about ants is that they always live and work in colonies. Ants are so wired to work together that you could even think of an ant colony as one big superorganism. 

When you spot-kill a handful of ants at a time, you do little harm to the overall “organism” of the colony. Killing a few ants is the equivalent of pulling out a few hairs in a human. You have to wipe out the entire colony if you want your infestation to end. 

Queen ants

All ant colonies depend entirely on their queen, or for some species, multiple queens. The queen ant finds the site of the nest and lays all the eggs. She is the only female in the colony that can reproduce, which means without her, the colony dies. 

The flip side is that as long as the queen ant lives, the colony can rebuild itself. Kill a thousand of the queen’s worker ants, and she’ll just replace them. In some species, the queen ant can lay thousands of eggs in a day. 

Bottom line: You MUST kill the queen to wipe out an ant colony. That can be difficult since the queen often stays in a safe chamber deep underground. Ant control treatments that kill on contact likely won’t reach her, which is why baits are usually more effective. 

Ant nests

Alabama Extension | Flickr | public domain

The anthill (aka ant mound) you see on your lawn is just like the tip of an iceberg. The actual nest extends 2 to 3 feet below the surface and 2 to 4 feet out from the base of the anthill. Scattering an ant mound and killing the ants that scurry out barely scratches the surface of the nest and population. 

Ant trails

At some point in your life, you’ve seen ants marching in a row. Those ants are following a trail of pheromones, aka an “ant trail,” that a scout ant in the colony created to lead other ants to a food source. 

One way to keep ants out of your space is to disrupt those ant trails with an overwhelming foreign scent. Pungent repellents like vinegar and essential oils are great for masking pheromone trails leading into your home or outdoor living space. 

When to call a professional exterminator 

Any time you have a severe ant infestation inside your home, calling a professional exterminator is a good idea. Many species of ants will nest in hard-to-reach places like the inside of walls, and a pro is the best person to locate and destroy those nests.  

You should be able to handle most outdoor ant infestations on your own. But if you try all the methods we described in this guide and nothing works, it’s time to call a pro. 

Remember, you can prevent ants from ever infesting your yard with a lawn care management program. Mowing, watering, and fertilizing correctly will keep your grass thick, healthy, and ant-free. Lawn Love’s local lawn care professionals are always on hand to help. 

Main Photo Credit: Annette Meyer | Pixabay

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Jordan Ardoin

Jordan Ardoin is a writer and indoor plant enthusiast hailing from Florida. In her spare time, she enjoys chasing her two cats around the house and trying to keep her houseplants alive.

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7 Natural Ways to Get Rid of Ants in Your Yard and Home - Lawn Care Blog

When you use chemical pesticides to exterminate ants, you potentially contribute to groundwater pollution and harm bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects.  

Try these natural ways to get rid of ants in your yard and home instead. They’re safer for you, your family, your pets, and the environment. 

Not all the substances we recommend come directly from nature, but they’re all much safer than chemical insecticides and don’t contribute to water pollution. These methods should work on most common species of ants that infest lawns and homes. 

We’ll talk about:

Natural ways to get rid of ants

1. Diatomaceous earth (DE)

SprocketRocket | Wikimedia Commons | CC0

How it works: Diatomaceous earth (DE) is made of tiny fossils left behind by microscopic organisms called diatoms. Those fossils are too small to hurt humans, but they’re deadly to ants. DE particles slice through ants’ exoskeletons, which dehydrates and eventually kills them.

What to do:

Downsides: DE becomes ineffective any time it gets wet, so you have to reapply it often, especially outdoors. While DE isn’t toxic, it can cause irritation if you breathe it in or get it in your eyes. We recommend wearing a dust mask and safety goggles while you apply DE. 

2. Baking soda / Baby powder

Aqua Mechanical | Flickr | CC BY 2.0

How it works: Baking soda and baby powder both suffocate ants by clogging their spiracles, which are pores in their exoskeleton that they need to breathe. If ingested, baking soda will create a chemical reaction inside the ant that kills it. 

What to do:

Downsides: Baby powder is safe to use anywhere, but baking soda can dry out your grass and soil. Water will wash away either one, so you have to reapply after rain or watering your lawn. 

3. Boiling water

Scott Akerman | Flickr | CC BY 2.0

How it works: Boiling water burns ants and kills them on contact. It also destroys the inside of the nest, so any ants that survive will likely move on to somewhere new.

What to do:

Downsides: Boiling water can burn you badly, so you have to be careful while handling it. It also burns your grass and soil and might create a soggy spot in the lawn. Plus, there’s a risk that the water will cool before reaching the queen deep underground and will fail to kill her. 

4. Borax / Boric Acid 

How it works: Borax is a powder made of boron, oxygen, and sodium. Boric acid is basically a more processed version of borax. Both contain boron as the main ingredient, and both kill ants by disrupting their digestive systems when ingested. 

What to do:

Downsides: Both borax and boric acid are toxic to humans and pets if inhaled or ingested. They might cause irritation if they touch you directly, so wear gloves and safety goggles while making and setting up the baits. Direct contact from borax or boric acid damages plants, as well. 

5. Soapy water

ryan lee | Flickr | CC BY 2.0

How it works: The soap breaks down ants’ cell membranes and destroys the protective wax coating that keeps them from losing water and dehydrating to death. If you add oil, the oil will clog ants’ spiracles (which they need to breathe) and suffocate them.  

What to do:

Downsides: Soap can damage some plants, so you have to be careful about applying it in the lawn and garden.

6. Garden hose water

Steve DiMatteo | Unsplash

How it works: Drown underground ants by filling the entire nest with regular water from the hose. Some ants can survive underwater for 24 hours, so you may need to drench the nest more than once.  

What to do:

Downsides: Soaking the soil with so much water at once can drown grass and other plants. The process will create a soggy spot in the lawn for at least a few days. 

7. Artificial sweeteners

frankieleon | Flickr | CC BY 2.0

How it works: Artificial sweeteners such as Splenda, Nutrasweet, and Equal contain saccharin or aspartame, which act as neurotoxins in ants. They kill ants by damaging their brain cells. 

What to do:

Downsides: No significant downsides.

Home remedies that don’t get rid of ants

While many home remedies are effective at exterminating ants, there are some that don’t work so well. 

Here are a few we don’t recommend:

Practices to prevent ants

You can keep ants from ever infesting your yard and home if you keep up with a few simple practices like these: 

  1. Take care of your lawn by mowing to the right height, watering the right amount, and fertilizing on the right schedule for your grass type. Ants are far more likely to infest a bare, patchy lawn than a thick, healthy one. 
  2. Relocate compost bins and trash cans away from the lawn, where ants are more likely to find them and get into them looking for food waste. 
  3. Remove plant litter such as dead branches, fallen leaves, and decaying logs from your yard ASAP. 
  4. Store woodpiles inside of a shed or garage if possible. If not, at least store them away from the house. Ants can easily climb woodpiles and use them to get into windows, vents, and other cracks and crevices. 
  5. Trim trees and shrubs so they don’t touch the house, which creates a pathway for ants to get inside your home.  
  6. Clean up food waste immediately, whether it’s crumbs on the couch or an ice cream cone you dropped outside.

Why you might not want to exterminate ants

Exterminating your ant population might not be the best option for your yard even if you use eco-friendly home remedies like the ones we covered here. You might choose to keep the ants out of your living spaces with natural ant repellents instead. 

Some home remedies to repel ants are:

Why is repelling ants a better choice in some cases? The presence of ants in your lawn can benefit your grass and plants. Ants aerate the soil, carry plant matter underground to enrich the soil, and prey on other insects that want to eat your plants. 

So, before you exterminate the entire colony of ants living in your yard, weigh the pros and cons of leaving them alone and letting them do their thing.  

When natural methods aren’t enough

If natural methods don’t work and your ant problem is unbearable, it might be time to consider chemical pesticides. Learn more about the different ways to use insecticides in our complete guide to getting rid of ants in your yard and home.

Sometimes, even pesticides won’t be enough to wipe out an ant infestation. In complicated situations where you can’t figure out why your ants won’t go away, you may need to call a professional pest control technician to solve the problem. 

How can you prevent an ant problem in the first place? Consistent lawn care is one of the best means of prevention. But keeping a lawn healthy takes a lot of time and work. That’s why Lawn Love’s local lawn care pros are here to help. 

Main Photo Credit: Guillaume de Germain | Unsplash

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Jordan Ardoin is a writer and indoor plant enthusiast hailing from Florida. In her spare time, she enjoys chasing her two cats around the house and trying to keep her houseplants alive.

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How to get rid of ants in the house: 15 effective remedies

If ants have settled in an apartment or a private house, they will penetrate into every corner. Let's figure out why this happens, whether boric acid helps and what means are actually effective. An extremely small size saves insects from prying eyes - only 2 mm.

Why do ants settle in the house?

adv.rbc.ru

Domestic ants are of two types - pharaoh ants and thieves (brownies). The former cannot exist without a person and live only in residential premises. The latter are adapted to life both with people and without them. They usually live in basements, periodically stealing food from apartments.

The main reason for their appearance is the lack of cleanliness of the premises. Leftover food and crumbs attract insects. After all, they need only one thing from people - food. But even in the cleanest apartment, ants can start if you leave food in accessible places. nine0003

The arrival of insects is also possible from neighbors who have begun to fight against them. And often the ants are carried by the person himself - on things, building materials, furniture.

Signs of the appearance of ants in the apartment

Ants make paths from the food source to the nest. If you look closely, you can see them on the walls, cabinets, table.

If you have insects, then it is enough to leave a piece of food in an accessible place - in a couple of hours it will be covered with ants.

Photo: Salmen Bejaoui/Unsplash

To fight them, you need to find a nest, because getting rid of worker ants is nothing more than a temporary measure. The uterus will quickly create new ones.

Domestic ants love warmth and humidity, so they live in apartments close to water and food. For example, behind a cabinet by the sink in the kitchen, behind a baseboard in the bathroom, or behind a tile.

How to get rid of ants with folk remedies

Since ants are extremely prolific and almost invisible, it is very difficult to get rid of them. But pest control methods exist. nine0003

Boric acid

It is mixed with sweet, adding a little water. This mixture is left in different places in the kitchen. Worker ants carry the infection to the uterus and larvae, boric acid destroys the digestive system of insects from the inside. You can also use mashed potatoes or egg yolks. The principle is the same - boric acid is added. The resulting poison is rolled into balls and placed in places of frequent accumulation of insects. Sometimes borax is used instead of acid - the method of application and effectiveness are similar. nine0003

Vinegar

To recognize food paths, ants secrete certain pheromones when creating them. If the paths, and preferably all surfaces, are smeared with a solution of vinegar and water, then the ants lose their bearings. For convenience, you can use a spray bottle, and uninvited guests will leave in search of a more comfortable home. Ideally, you need to process the nest. Then you can use vinegar essence with a little water. The resulting mixture is poured over the nest itself, this will destroy the uterus and larvae. For effectiveness, the procedure is best repeated after a few days. nine0003

Ammonium chloride

Its pungent odor also disorientates the ants. Used like vinegar.

Soap

It will help bring down the smells of pheromones. Mix a solution of soap and water in a spray bottle. The resulting mixture is sprayed with places of accumulation of ants.

Essential oils

Ants cannot stand strong odors. Therefore, essential oils of cloves, lavender, cinnamon, wormwood, and pine needles can help in the fight against them. They are impregnated with pieces of cloth or cotton balls and placed in insect habitats and on trodden paths. nine0003

Dried fragrant plants

Aromas of chamomile, mint, bay leaf, and parsley are also unpleasant for ants. Bags of herbs are laid out wherever they can appear. Lemon zest may help too.

Soda

Once in the body, it reacts with acid, as a result, the ant dies. It remains to force the ants to eat a very unpleasant product. To do this, soda is mixed with sugar and a little water is added. The resulting solution is left in all places accessible to insects. nine0003

Hot pepper

Burning seasoning scares off uninvited guests. Pepper is scattered on ant trails and in the habitat of the colony.

Boiling water

Hot water will also help to kill insects. However, here the efficiency will be zero if you do not pour boiling water over the nest itself, namely the ant queen.

Garlic

They wipe all surfaces and ant paths. The procedure must be repeated regularly, as the smell quickly disappears. nine0003

Photo: hybridnighthawk/Pexels

Anticides

Traps

They contain a strong poison inside. In this case, the insect is lured by an appetizing aroma. Falling into such a trap, the ant is smeared in a poisonous mixture and carries it on itself directly to the nest. This method is the safest for both people and pets.

Gels

The agent is applied to surfaces where insects are most active. The gel attracts with the smell of food, and the ants carry the prey to the nest, killing not only their fellows, but also the queen. nine0003

Crayons

With crayons, they limit the territory for access by drawing certain boundaries. Crossing them, the ants are also poisoned and already infected return to the nest, bringing death to others.

Aerosols

Quite effective, but the agent must be sprayed directly into the center of the colony. Otherwise, the toxic substance will not help.

Powders

Like most products, they infect directly the food processors. A poisoned ant carries the infection to others, which leads to the destruction of the colony. nine0003

Expert's comment

Petr Fisenko, Disinfector Specialist of the Dez_Hunter Disinfection Service:

— It is quite easy to distinguish domestic ants from street ants not only by their small size (about 2 mm), but also by their red color. In addition, they crawl very slowly.

Ants can be seen most often in food - especially next to sweets, near a sugar bowl, an open jar of jam, a vase with sweets. Individuals that crawl around the house are ordinary workers, running around in search of food. The main danger is the uterus, which is much larger than the others, with wings - it is she who breeds the colony. Therefore, it is important not only to find the nest of ants in the house, but also to destroy their queen. Otherwise, insects will appear in the house again. nine0003

There are many recipes for solutions and baits containing boric acid. Indeed, it is detrimental to ants - after entering the stomach of an insect (this is a prerequisite), the granules cause paralysis of the nervous system and the ant dies. But it will take a long time to bring out the entire colony along with the queen. Also, when working with boric acid, it is necessary to follow the precautionary rules: place the bait out of the reach of children and pets, do not leave in the open access products through which infected insects can move. nine0003

Table vinegar will not kill ants, it will only scare them away. If you treat the places of their accumulation with a solution of 9% vinegar, then its pungent smell will interrupt the sense of smell of insects - they will not be able to find their way to food, they will begin to starve and leave their homes.

It is absolutely useless to fight ants with boiling water, shampoo solutions, kerosene emulsion, ultrasonic repellents. Maximum - pests will leave the apartment for a while, but then they will return again according to the "food" memory.

Many household chemicals for ant control are now available: insecticidal gels, aerosols, traps, granules. But they will only be effective if you find the nest and use them to target the colony's queen and destroy it. But independent struggle takes a lot of time and is not completely effective. nine0003

As a rule, all insects living in apartments compete with each other. For example, ants and cockroaches will not live together. Ants will drive out all other insects from their territory, attack in packs, bite and paralyze with formic acid.

It is much easier to prevent the appearance of ants than to try to eradicate them when a whole colony has already settled in the house. It is necessary to keep the kitchen clean, do not leave food, crumbs, dirty dishes, close packages of cereals and sugar, take out the garbage in a timely manner, monitor the tightness of walls and ceilings, you can periodically use folk remedies for prevention (for example, wipe the places of possible appearance with vinegar). nine0003

If several apartments are infested in a house, integrated pest management will be most effective. Here it is recommended to carry out a professional treatment of all apartments at the same time, even those that are not infected.

How to get rid of pests at home or in an apartment. RBC Real Estate guides:

Bed bugs

Cockroaches

Midges

Flies

Fleas

Moles

Moths 9003

0000 how to get rid of folk remedies yourself

Types of ants

Several types of ants are found in the gardens and orchards of central Russia.

Red wood ant (Formica rufa)

Red wood ants live in the forest, but sometimes they also settle in summer cottages. Photo: Maciej Olszewski, globallookpress.com

These are the ones who build big anthills. They are medium in size, 7–14 mm long. Their chest and cheeks are reddish-red, the abdomen and head are black. nine0003

Most often they live in the forest, but sometimes they also settle in summer cottages, on the border between vegetable gardens. Their dwellings reach a height of half a meter or more. They are built from twigs, needles and other plant material. In a large anthill, there may be several hundred thousand individuals, and sometimes there are a million or more!

Despite the fact that everyone has seen and knows these ants, in some regions they are already becoming rare. The species is already listed in the Red Books of Moscow, Voronezh, Kostroma, Lipetsk, Novgorod and Chelyabinsk regions. nine0003

What is useful. We know from school that these insects are forest nurses. Scientists confirm: red forest ants destroy a lot of pests (1). Of course, not only in the forest, but also in the garden. They willingly eat caterpillars of the pine sawfly, caterpillars of needle-eating butterflies and other uninvited "aliens". One large anthill is able to clear a quarter of a hectare of forest or garden from pests. That is why in Europe red forest ants are artificially resettled.

In addition, red forest ants improve the soil. It is reliably known that in the places where the ant family lives, the earth contains 10 times more phosphorus and 2 times more potassium. And in a soluble form - so these nutrients are better absorbed by plants. nine0003

How harmful. However, every medal has a reverse side. Yes, yes, these insects can do harm.

Firstly, they, like other ants, love to feast on honeydew - the sweet secretions of aphids. During the season, the colony collects 450–500 kg of honeydew! They graze aphids, protect them from enemies and actively breed them, dragging them to neighboring plants. For gardeners, this is a big problem. But it is aggravated by the fact that aphids, which are bred by ants, often carry plant viruses (2). nine0003

Second, red wood ants disperse the seeds of wild plants. This is good for the forest, but bad for the garden, because wild plants are weeds.

And yet, the benefits of the red wood ant are much greater, and problems with aphids and weeds are easily solved.

Black garden ant (Lasius niger)

Black garden ant exterminates pests. Photo: A. Schulte, globallookpress.com

Another name for it is black lasium. This species lives on a vast territory - from Portugal and England to the central part of Siberia and Mongolia. It is he who is most often found in the gardens of the middle lane. Sometimes settles even in cities. Colonies are usually small, 4000–7000 individuals. In rare cases, it can be up to 50,000.

Black ants are small, about 5 mm long. They build anthills underground, in the roots of plants. Recognizing these nests is easy - they look like a small pile of loose earth with a hole in the middle. They willingly settle in gardens, vegetable gardens and flower beds, especially if there are natural decorative elements - stones and driftwood. It is under them or next to them that they most often equip their nests.

What is useful. Like many other types of ants, the black garden ant destroys pests. But, as a rule, not all, but only the smallest. nine0003

How harmful. If you see an aphid colony on a tree, be sure that an abundance of black ants will also be found there, which also like to feed on aphid secretions, protect it and breed it. They are the main carriers of aphids in the garden. But not only her - black ants love the excretion of worms, so the invasion of these pests is also guaranteed to you.

Black Lasius also likes strawberries, so expect bitten sides of berries.

Garden pale-footed ant (Lasius alienus)

Pale-legged garden ants like to settle under stones. Photo: YouTube

He is also a brown lazi. Very small ants, only 2–4 mm long. Color - from light to dark brown. Colonies live underground, and it is very difficult to find an anthill - these insects do not make any mounds. Unlike its counterpart, the black ant, it prefers more open areas - illuminated and well warmed up: glades, sandy soils, coastal dunes, steppe meadows. Avoids wet soils. He loves to nest under rocks. nine0003

What is useful. Pale-footed ants are omnivores, so pests are bound to be in their diet.

How harmful. This is another honeydew lover, he also breeds aphids and mealybugs. Can nibble on strawberries.

Red Myrmica (Myrmica rubra)

Myrmica is a predator that preys on small insects on the soil surface and in fallen leaves. Photo: A. Schulte, globallookpress.com

Small ants about 5 mm long. Yellow or light brown. Like black ants, they build their nests in the soil, between the roots of plants. They like to settle under stones, snags, fallen trees. They live throughout Europe, in Russia - up to Transbaikalia. They are competitors of black garden ants. nine0003

Myrmica is a predator that preys on small insects on the soil surface and in fallen leaves. These ants paralyze their victims with a poisonous sting. They also scare away potential enemies, which may turn out to be a summer resident. If you sat on the ground and suddenly felt a sharp pain, you must have been bitten by a red myrmica. These ants have incredibly painful stings! A strong burning sensation immediately occurs, and the skin becomes covered with a red rash.

Benefits of . This species is omnivorous, destroys garden and garden pests. nine0003

How harmful . Also a fan of aphid secretions, therefore he is able to breed it. And also worms. But it does so infrequently. The most unpleasant thing is myrmica bites.

Black Carpenter Ant (Camponotus vagus)

These are forest ants that live in clearings, old clearings and forest edges. Photo: F. Hecker, globallookpress.com

You can't confuse them with other ants, because they are the largest - they reach 1.5 cm in length. And they are completely black. The species is found throughout Europe, in Russia - up to Altai. In some regions it is under protection - it is included in the Red Books of the Vladimir and Vologda regions. nine0003

These are forest ants, they live in clearings, old clearings and forest edges. Anthills are arranged in wood residues and stumps. But if there is old firewood or sawn trees on the garden plot, they can also settle next to people. The colony can reach 4,000 individuals.

What is useful. This species is omnivorous, destroying harmful insects. And best of all, he does not breed aphids! That is, it is practically harmless to the garden.

How harmful . May eat fruit, but rarely does so. So we can safely assume that it does not harm. nine0003

Pharaoh ant (Monomorium pharaonis)

In Europe, Pharaoh ants were first discovered in 1828 in London. Photo: R. Koenig, globallookpress.com

Its official name is very beautiful, downright regal, but there is another - house ant. Yes, yes, these goosebumps run around your tables. They are small, only 1.5–2 mm long. Brown or yellowish.

And why is he pharaonic? The fact is that for the first time these tiny insects were found in the tombs of the Egyptian pharaohs - on mummies, where they penetrated in search of food. Here they were caught and handed over to the Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus for determination. He described this insect in 1758, called the pharaoh ant, and suggested that Egypt and adjacent regions of North Africa are its homeland. nine0003

Pharaoh ants were first discovered in Europe in 1828 in London. These insects happily settled under the stoves of fireplaces. In 1862 they were already found in Russia, in Kazan. They appeared in Moscow in 1889.

Now these ants live in houses on all continents, moving around the world with food and cargo on ships, planes, cars.

Dark, warm and damp places are preferred in houses. They willingly settle in the walls of houses, cracks in the floor and foundation, behind wallpaper, in boxes, folds of clothes and even equipment. nine0003

Pharaoh ant families can reach 350,000 individuals, but usually fluctuate within a few thousand. But even worse, they do not have a specific nest - the anthill is dispersed throughout the house in the form of small colonies. That is why it is very difficult to remove these insects. Another problem is that, unlike other types of ants, they do not hibernate.

How useful. I would like to attribute at least one valuable property to them, but there are none - only losses.

How harmful. They eat your food. But this is half the trouble. They can be carriers of dangerous infections. Imagine, at first they crawled along the dirty floor, looked into the trash can, and then climbed into your sugar bowl with dirty paws, walked on the bread and rummaged through the flour.

But that's not all. Since house ants are ubiquitous, they can easily crawl into the ear at night. Pleasant little.

How to get rid of ants forever

All we can do is to reduce the number of ants, but for this we need to fight them constantly. Photo: Valery Lukyanov, globallookpress.com

This is the dream of any summer resident, but, unfortunately, getting rid of ants will not work forever. In nature, all ecological niches must be occupied, and if there are no ants somewhere, be sure they will settle there soon. It's like with weeds: you can at least completely fill the area with herbicides, a week or two will pass, harmful plants will appear on it again - the seeds will be brought by the wind. And the ants will crawl on their own.

All we can do is to reduce their numbers, but for this we need to fight them constantly. You can use any available means, but, of course, chemical methods of protection help better. nine0003

How to properly remove an anthill from the garden

Anthill of red wood ants

Really large anthills are built by red wood ants. Although they carry aphids and weeds around the garden, the benefits from them are incomparably greater. This is just the case when it is better to leave the anthill. Besides, it's beautiful.

But if these ants seriously annoy you, then it probably makes sense to get rid of the dwelling of insects. But in no case do not destroy it! You can make it easier: collect the aerial part with a shovel into large dense plastic bags, tie them tightly with tape so that the insects cannot get out. Then dig a layer of earth under the anthill onto the bayonet of a shovel - there are also passages there. Pour the earth into the bag as well. Take or take the colony to the nearest forest. Dig a hole deep on the spade bayonet, pour in an earthen base, lightly tamp. Then pour the upper, above-ground part on top. It is not necessary to form a hill out of it, the insects themselves will equip their home. It is best to do this at sunset or at dawn, when the bulk of the insects are already inside. nine0003

If single ants remain in your area, they will leave on their own - they will not build a colony without a queen.

Underground anthills

It is almost impossible to get rid of them, because they are very branched and often form among garden plants. It is difficult to dig them out without damaging the landing. Prevention is important here: remove rotting trees, old woodpile, stumps and stones from the site - this is where ants like to settle.

However, if the anthill has just appeared and is still small, you can dig it out with a shovel, put it in a bucket, take it outside the site (preferably into the forest) and pour it out there. nine0003

Anthills inside the house

Pharaoh ants build them. And, as already mentioned, they do not have a concentrated hearth - the colony settles throughout the house, filling secluded places in small groups. Actually, your house is one big anthill. Here you have to fight directly with the insects themselves.

Folk remedies for ants

Folk remedies help when there are few insects. Photo: Patrick Pleu, globallookpress.com

If there are a lot of ants on the site, it is better not to waste time - use special preparations (more on them below). Folk remedies help when there are few insects. nine0003

Repellents

Herbs and condiments. It is believed that ants do not tolerate strong odors. Therefore, near the anthills, it is advised to lay out anise leaves, chopped tops of tomatoes and parsley, wormwood, garlic cloves (you can decompose sawdust mixed with garlic gruel) and cinnamon.

Strawberries can be planted with garlic.

Charcoal. Many insects do not like the smell of burnt wood - for them it is associated with forest fires. Crush the charcoal and sprinkle generously on the anthill and ant nests. nine0003

Invalid methods. Very often among the people's councils there are completely savage. For example, "pour the anthill with kerosene or carbolic acid."

Do you know what carbolic is? This is the old name for phenol. And phenol is incredibly toxic to animals, it is one of the most dangerous industrial pollutants. It is detrimental to many microorganisms.

Kerosene is not as toxic, but if used frequently and in large quantities, it can harm both people and the soil. nine0003

Ant repellant in the garden

The most important thing here is to keep the ants out of the trees - that's where they breed aphid colonies. There are three very reliable means.

Hemp oil. Treat the base of the trunks with it - it is believed that ants avoid this smell.

Foil . Wrap the base of the barrel tightly with thin foam rubber, and on top of it with a strip of foil. It is slippery, ants cannot overcome such an obstacle. Foam rubber is needed so as not to injure the bark of a tree, especially if it is young. And on old trees, it will fill in the recesses in the bark so that insects cannot crawl under the foil. nine0003

Fly tape. The scheme is similar - foam rubber, on top of it - a tape. Ants trying to get to the aphid colony will simply stick and die.

Ant control in the garden

Ash. Sprinkle ash on anthills and places where ants gather - as mentioned above, they do not like the smell of burning. And for plants, ash is an excellent fertilizer.

Sweet sponge. Very simple but effective lure. Take an ordinary sponge for washing dishes, soak it in a sugar solution and put it in places where ants accumulate. When a lot of insects gather on it, dip the sponge in boiling water. Soak again with syrup and put back to the ants. And so several times. nine0003

Prohibited substances. In the garden, it is also often advised to use carbolic acid and kerosene, but it is unlikely that you in your right mind would want to eat vegetables watered with this muck.

But there is one more piece of bad advice: sprinkle salt on anthills and paths. Do not do this under any circumstances! Firstly, she will not scare them (pay attention to domestic ants that calmly crawl along the salt shaker). Secondly, high concentrations of salt will instantly kill all plants nearby.

Ant repellant in the house

The most important thing in the fight against domestic ants is to ensure the safety of people and animals.

Boric acid. It paralyzes the nervous system of insects, and soon they die. By the way, for this purpose it is also used in medicine - for removing lice, for example.

To fight ants, add it to something sweet. For example: in 500 g of jam (raspberry, strawberry or cherry - ants love them especially), add 20 g of fresh yeast and 5 g of boric acid. Having tasted such a delicacy, most insects die on the second day. nine0003

You can soak a few pieces of sugar in acid and leave them in this state in the open.

But! Processed jam and sugar should be put in a place inaccessible to children and warn all household members that this is a poisoned bait! Boric acid is used for external use. If you eat it, you can get serious poisoning, and for children, a lethal outcome is not excluded at all.

Repellents. Fragrant herbs and spices such as elderberry, tomato leaves, wild mint, cloves, wormwood and garlic are believed to repel ants. It is enough to spread them near the products and insects will begin to bypass these places. And when they realize that they can’t get to food, they will leave the house. nine0003

Professional Ant Control

Professional Ant Control can be used to help get rid of ants. Photo: Konstantin Mikhailov, globallookpress.com

There are quite a lot of ant repellents on sale now, but, in fact, they contain only two substances: either diazinon or chlorpyrifos.

Diazinon blocks the production of an enzyme responsible for the nervous system of ants. In insects, convulsions begin, then paralysis and death. The advantage of the substance is that it also penetrates into plants, being easily absorbed by the roots. As a result, it protects them from being eaten by ants for 2-3 weeks. nine0003

Chlorpyrifos enters the body of insects through the respiratory system and paralyzes the nervous system. It stays in the soil for 110–120 days, and is effective against pests for about 1–2 months.

Preparations based on diazinon

All of them belong to the 3rd hazard class - a moderately hazardous substance (for humans). But they are not toxic to plants and are safe for soil microflora and earthworms.

Thunder-2 (3). The drug in the form of granules is intended for the destruction of garden ants in the beds, in flower beds, under trees, in the blind areas of houses, as well as against soil houseflies on seedlings and indoor flowers. The drug is completely ready for use. nine0003

The granules are introduced into anthills (to a depth of 2–3 cm) and accumulation sites. Consumption rate: 20–30 g per 10 sq. m. The death of ants and flies occurs in 1-2 days. A single application provides protection against insects for 2-3 months.

Medvetoks. The drug is intended for the destruction of ants and mole crickets. Represents granules of red color, ready to use. In addition to the active substance, the composition of the product includes aromatic and flavoring additives that attract insects, as well as plant components - they serve as food for pests. nine0003

The granules are brought directly into the anthill by 3 cm. It is better to lay out the poison in the evening. Consumption rate: 20 g per 10 sq. m. The bait remains active for 3 weeks. After 3 weeks, "Medvetoks" decomposes into components that are safe for the environment.

Re-treatment should be done after 1 month, when the offspring of the larvae appear, but the granules can be applied to the soil no later than 60 days before harvest.

Anteater. The preparation is in the form of an emulsion concentrate. Sold in vials (1 ml). The bottle is diluted in 10 liters of water. This amount is enough to destroy 25 anthills! Each ant colony is treated with the resulting solution, for which the soil around the anthills is dug up until clutches are found. This is very important, because if only worker ants die, the colony will quickly recover due to the fecundity of the female. The ruined anthill is carefully shed with the Anteater solution, and then again sprinkled with earth. Insecticide treatment is recommended in dry calm weather, in the morning (before 10:00) or in the evening (after 18:00) - at this time, almost all ants are in their nests. nine0003

The protection period is at least 3 weeks. After that, "Anteater" completely disintegrates in the soil into natural components.

" Ant" (3). The drug is in the form of granules. They bring it directly into anthills to a depth of 2-3 cm. Consumption rate: 20 g per 10 square meters. m. The death of ants and flies occurs in 3-5 days.

If necessary, anthills can be re-treated after 30 days.

Muratox . A broad-spectrum drug against ants, fleas, basement mosquito larvae. Available as an emulsion concentrate. nine0003

To kill insects, places of their accumulation and ways of movement (including in the blind areas of houses and on sidewalks) are watered in dry weather in the morning or evening with a freshly prepared working solution (1-2 ml of the preparation per 10 l of water). Before watering, you need to dig up the colony to the pupae, water thoroughly, sprinkle with earth. Consumption rate: 2-3 liters per 1 sq. m. prepared solution add 900 ml of water. The bait is poured into non-food containers (plastic and tin lids) and placed indoors on the paths of movement or penetration of ants. Baits can also be placed in greenhouses and greenhouses. Insects die for 3 days. The duration of action is 3-4 weeks.

Muracid . The drug is available in the form of an aqueous emulsion. In addition to the active substance, it contains food bait, the smell and taste of which attract ants.

The content of the capsule (1 ml) is diluted in 10 liters of water. The prepared solution is watered with anthills and the passages that insects have made in the soil. Processing is best done in dry weather, in the evening or in the morning, when all the insects are in the anthill. Consumption rate: for small anthills - 0.5 liters of solution, for large ones - 1 liter or more. After treatment, the ants die for 2 days. Efficiency lasts from 2 to 3 months. nine0003

Preparations based on chlorpyrifos

They belong to the 4th hazard class - low hazard to humans and animals.

Absolute . Available in the form of a gel. In just one application, it completely exterminates colonies of house and garden ants.

Lubricate the substrates with gel or squeeze out with a thin dotted line in the areas where ants appear. The length of the strips is 2 cm. With a large accumulation of insects, the strips are extended to 4 cm. Consumption rate: 25 g (1 tube) per room of 50 square meters. m.

To protect the lower floors, terraces and verandas from garden ants, the gel is applied along the walls inside and outside the building. After treatment, insects die within a day. The applied drug remains active for up to 1.5–2 months.

"Delicia". Preparation in the form of a granular powder. Can be used both outdoors and indoors. It can be applied in two ways.

Method #1. The powder is spread in a thin layer on the paths of ants, near their nests. Cracks, seams and crevices should be sprinkled especially abundantly. Consumption rate: 10 g per sq. m.

The ants carry the powder to their nest, where it is eaten by the ant queen, the growing offspring and the worker ants. As a result, the colony dies. In addition, it has a contact effect.

Method #2. The powder is diluted in water, mixing well. Cracks, seams, crevices and nests of ants are sprayed with a solution. You can arrange the diluted product in small flat containers. Packing 125 g is enough to prepare 6 liters of solution.

Combination preparation

It contains both active ingredients: diazinon and chlorpyrifos. They enhance each other's action and are able to remove insects even in the most neglected cases.

Great Warrior. Anti ants and cockroaches. Available in the form of a gel. It is applied in a dotted line to habitats, accumulations or movements.

To kill house ants, apply the gel at 4 cm intervals between strips. Consumption rate: 1 pack (35 g) for an area of ​​50–75 sq. m. Insects die on the first day. You can re-treat the room no sooner than after 3-4 weeks. nine0003

To kill garden ants, apply dots or strips of gel to sheets of cardboard and place them on the ant "paths" and around the anthill.

To kill insects crawling to the lower floors of houses and country houses, the gel is applied along the perimeter of the room with a dotted line: 2 cm of gel - 6 cm of the untreated surface. For the best effect, you need to process the premises, both along the inner perimeter and outside.

What to do if bitten by an ant

Ants living in temperate latitudes are not dangerous. As a poison, they use formic acid, the same one that many in childhood licked from sticks previously lowered into an anthill. That is, it can even be taken orally. But there are also unpleasant symptoms. nine0003

Redness and itching

The most that can happen if acid gets on the skin is a little itching and irritation at the bite site.

What to do. Itching goes away on its own after a few hours. To get rid of it faster, wipe the bite with vodka or any medicinal tincture with alcohol. You can make a compress with baking soda.

Allergy

Rare, but the consequences can be serious: swelling and blisters, severe and extensive redness of the skin with pain, nausea, shortness of breath, headache, loss of consciousness. nine0003

What to do. As soon as you notice the first signs of allergy, take any antihistamine. If the drug does not help, the condition worsens - immediately consult a doctor!

Topic

None of the beneficial insects eat ants. This is logical - the ants themselves are predators, there are many of them, they will not let themselves be offended. Moreover, they will not allow our useful assistants to destroy pests. For example, everyone knows that ants themselves breed colonies of aphids, graze them and protect them. Therefore, it is important to get rid of ants first. Here, too, there are safe ways. nine0003

  1. If you find an anthill in the area, sprinkle it generously with ashes or crushed charcoal. Many insects, including ants, do not like the smell of burning - they associate it with a fire.
  2. To prevent ants from climbing trees and settling aphids on them, wrap the base of the trunks with foil so that it fills all the depressions in the bark, carefully knead it to the shape of the trunk. Ants will not be able to overcome the slippery surface.
  3. Another option is to wrap fly tape around the bases of the trunks: any ants that try to climb the tree will stick to it. nine0010

Popular Questions and Answers

We asked several popular questions about ants in plot to agronomist-breeder Svetlana Mikhailova.

How to find an ant's nest

When it comes to domestic ants, it is useless to look for their nests. They are scattered throughout the house, in the most secluded places.

You don't need to look for nests of red forest ants - they are large and can be seen from afar.

Anthills in the soil can be identified by the accumulation of insects and small holes. nine0003

Where do ants come from

Females (ant queens) establish new colonies - they have wings and are able to fly long distances.

The female makes a small nest, lays larvae, from which workers hatch. And they are already expanding and completing the anthill.

How to get rid of ants in a greenhouse?

There are no specific recommendations for greenhouses - they use the same methods as for ants in the garden.

But remember that folk remedies are not very effective, they can be used only when there are few ants. With a large population of the site, only chemicals will help. nine0003

How to effectively get rid of ants?

You won't be able to get rid of ants once and for all, they will appear again and again. And in order to achieve maximum effect in the fight against them, it is important to exterminate them constantly - this is an endless work, but there is no other way out. If not dealt with, they can cause significant damage to the crop.

How to quickly get rid of ants?

The fastest way is to use professional chemicals. They have been tested, they have a proven effectiveness and often a long duration of action. And, by the way, you should not be afraid of their toxicity - they are approved for use in personal subsidiary farms (you simply cannot buy highly toxic drugs in the store) and, if the instructions are followed, do not pose any threat to human and animal health. nine0003

Sources

  1. Larionov M.V. Ecobiological characteristics of representatives of the family.

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