Killing ant hills in my grass

[mr2mike]

How do I do this? I've been at them for a # of yrs but they're still around. My one part of the yard is essentially one massive ant hill.

Typically, I'll stir the nest up and use the ant killer dust a few time and it takes them down but never ends the battle completely.
They're also under my concrete walk ways too.

Any ideas?

[vengie]

Originally posted by mr2mike
How do I do this? I've been at them for a # of yrs but they're still around. My one part of the yard is essentially one massive ant hill.

Typically, I'll stir the nest up and use the ant killer dust a few time and it takes them down but never ends the battle completely.
They're also under my concrete walk ways too.

Any ideas?

The raid expanding foam works well, stick the end in an opening to the hill and go to town, penetrates really deep. I've taken out a few hills with it.

[sputnik]

Two options.

Sevin (aka Carbaryl) - Its a STRONG insecticide. Get the liquid concentrate and pour into a hole poked down the center of the hill. Should do the trick but you really don't want pets or kids on the lawn for a few days after.

Diatomaceous Earth - It is sometimes hard to find, but it is essentially ground up fossils (almost to a powder) that is really sharp on the skin of insects and slugs/snails. So when they walk on it they cut themselves and die. You have to reapply throughout the year as rain will reduce its effectiveness. 100% safe for humans and animals.

[lint]

I've tried DE and it hasn't worked at all on the ants in our yard. I picked up a 22kg bag from UFA up in Airdrie for $40. Gave some to a neighbour using it to control slugs in her garden. Sugar and borax hasn't worked either.

The only thing I've tried that works are pesticides that contain pyrethrin or pyrethrin compounds. Poulin's sells powder that contain it. I've found Wilson Ant Out at Walmart that has it as well.

[gretz]

Originally posted by vengie


The raid expanding foam works well, stick the end in an opening to the hill and go to town, penetrates really deep. I've taken out a few hills with it.

+1, the foam is the most effective and oddly satisfying lol

[speedog]

Age old recipe - icing sugar and Borax. Google it.

[spikerS]

i used to kill them just by pouring regular old gasoline into the hill, walk away like a boss.

[Darell_n]

I love the expanding foam stuff. I pounded a whole can into a crack in my garage ramp and it came out 10ft away. Ants will always be back the following year.

[JC522]

Bought this from Poulins for 45$ works pretty good. I'm battling a few ant colonies in the lawn, whenever I'm mowing the lawn I guess I disturb their colony and a bunch come out and I just spray with this

http://www.poulins.ca/products/insec...36,wilson-bugx

[BokCh0y]

I've tried pooring boiling water onto the hole after i kick the hill and get them excited.

Dunno how effective it really is, but they're all gone now...

[mr2mike]

I've read the borax and icing sugar. Might try that.
The foam sounds interesting. I'll pick that up.


I did get pissed off one day I sprayed brake cleaner with the straw in the concrete. That ended their reign of that area pretty quick. But it's expensive and not exactly enviro friendly.

[Disoblige]

Originally posted by BokCh0y
I've tried pooring boiling water onto the hole after i kick the hill and get them excited.

Dunno how effective it really is, but they're all gone now...

I have this problem on my lawn as well. Because I have pets, I try to not to use chemicals if I can help it. The boiling water works, but I used a a huge stew pot 2 times. Literally over 40 L of boiling water. It kept the ants away for a good month, but they came back yesterday haha. So I repeated and hoping they don't come back for another month.

I tried to drown them with a hose for 10-15 minutes but that works worse than the boiling water.

[nzwasp]

Originally posted by Disoblige

I have this problem on my lawn as well. Because I have pets, I try to not to use chemicals if I can help it. The boiling water works, but I used a a huge stew pot 2 times. Literally over 40 L of boiling water. It kept the ants away for a good month, but they came back yesterday haha. So I repeated and hoping they don't come back for another month.

I tried to drown them with a hose for 10-15 minutes but that works worse than the boiling water.

from some ant fact page:

Fact #22: Most ants can survive around 24 hours underwater

[suntan]

One weird trick: Put a pot that has a drainage hole with some dry soil in it over the ant hill. The ants will rebuild their colony in the pot (it's higher and drier). Then lift it up and throw the soil into the garbage bin. Or set it on fire.

[Darell_n]

I heard the best method is to bury 10 lbs of Tannerite near the colony, wait a month then burn 10 lbs of Thermite on top of it.

[gretz]

Originally posted by Darell_n
I heard the best method is to bury 10 lbs of Tannerite near the colony, wait a month then burn 10 lbs of Thermite on top of it.

That should take down a few conspiracy ants

[ExtremeSi]

I poured vinegar over a few spots on my yard/garden that ants were overrunning and it took care of 90% of them. They were big red ants too. Hundreds of them. Just be careful with vinegar because too much will kill any grass or plants around the vicinity.

[sputnik]

Originally posted by suntan
One weird trick: Put a pot that has a drainage hole with some dry soil in it over the ant hill. The ants will rebuild their colony in the pot (it's higher and drier). Then lift it up and throw the soil into the garbage bin. Or set it on fire.

To get rid of the ants you have to kill the queen who resides near the bottom of the colony.

[mix123]

I just did this.

Take a stick or something long and skinny. Poke it about 3-5 inches into the grass. Take a can or something and put some gas in it. Carefully pour gas into the hole.

Ants will literally be gone the next day. Grass will not die.

[suntan]

Originally posted by sputnik


To get rid of the ants you have to kill the queen who resides near the bottom of the colony.

Yes thanks. The queen will move too.