Your Guide to an Ant-Free Yard

Ants are bothersome creatures that no one wants invading their outdoor space. Still, they always seem to be hanging around. Rather than let them ruin the time you spend outdoors, take some proactive steps to help make sure you have an ant-free yard all of the time.

Getting Rid of Ants in Your Yard

If you already have ants in your yard, your first step needs to be to get rid of them. Here are some helpful tips to get that done:

• Dehydrate them with diatomaceous earth (DE). The DE will dry the ants from the inside, killing them in days and it is not harmful to humans or pets.
• Spread around a mixture of equal parts sugar and borax. The borax will adhere to the sugar, which the ants will be attracted to. The ants will carry both back to the mound, and when the borax is consumed, they will die.
• Pour boiling hot water on the ant mounds. Note: This method can be harmful to your grass and nearby plants.
• Spread instant grits around the ant mounds. The grits will expand in the ants’ stomachs and kill them.
• Use a mixture of cayenne pepper and corn starch and sprinkle it around the mounds.
• Make a repellent spray of orange peels and equal parts vinegar and water. Spray it around the mounds. It will drive the ants away without killing them.
• Pour a soapy mixture that consists of no more than two teaspoons of dish soap and a gallon of warm water directly into the ant mounds. You can pour the solution directly into each mound in your yard or spray it around for more controlled dispersion.
• Call a pest control professional.

Once you have gotten rid of all the ants in your yard, you can get to the work of preventing them from coming back. Here are some great tips to get you started.

Use Natural Ant Repellents

Certain plants give off odors that are unpleasing to ants. So, planting them in your yard will help you keep the ants away. As a bonus, many of these plants can be cut down and used indoors to keep ants away from your home as well. Some of the best plants for keeping ants away include herbs like peppermint, lavender, sage and fennel. You can also spray garlic water around your yard or make a citronella spray repellent by mixing the essential oil with a liquid base of olive oil, vodka or rubbing alcohol to keep ants away from your yard.

If you want to get rid of ants in your yard or simply want to keep them from invading, contact the pest control experts at Action Pest and Turf. We can help you enjoy an ant-free summer in your backyard.