Finding ant hills in your lawn can be a major frustration as they can be an eyesore and an annoyance. In addition to the cosmetic concerns, ant hills can also be a sign of a bigger problem.
While we don’t typically get the gigantic ant hills often seen in even warmer climates, our region does have plenty of ants. As a result, it’s possible for them to build nests and small mounds in residential yards.
We know that when homeowners find ant hills, they want to know what to do. In this article, we’ll address the best ways to handle ant hills in your lawn. We’ll also answer some of the most commonly asked questions about these pests.
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Ant hills (or “mounds”) are the result of worker ants moving soil to expand their underground nest. The mound of dirt seen at the surface is the result of what’s being dug beneath the grass.
New mounds tend to be formed following rain, as this is when the soil is easiest to move. Ant hills serve important functions for ant colonies, helping to protect the queen, regulate temperature, and provide shelter.
In general, ants tend to prefer well-drained, sandy soils to build their nests (and create mounds as a result). Since water can help to loosen soil and make it easier to move (as mentioned above), you might find ant mounds near areas of standing water such as where a gutter lets out or perhaps an overflowing bird bath.
Yes, ant hills can be bad for a lawn. They can obviously lead to cosmetic damage. Plus, it’s annoying to have uneven surfaces.
But ant activity can be even more problematic than that. Ant hills and lawn health don’t exactly go together. If you have a significant number of ants, it can actually lead to lawn damage. We’ll cover that next.
But a lot of ant activity can also be problematic because they can attract other pests. A large number of ants can be an indicator to other pests that there is food, water, and shelter available. This can attract pests like roaches and aphids. Ants are also a common food source for larger pests like spiders.
Yes, ant hills do have the potential to harm your grass. The piling of dirt atop of your lawn that occurs when ants are digging a mound can smother your grass by blocking access to sunlight. This could lead to root damage or yellowing of the grass.
The activity of digging and tunneling can also damage grass roots. In addition, large colonies that spread into plant bed areas could start interfering with landscaping as well.
All that being said, most of the time, there are not enough ants to do significant damage to your lawn. Usually, homeowners just see a handful of mounds popping up. What tends to frustrate homeowners more are the ants themselves as they can deter backyard enjoyment by being a nuisance.
Ants near your home will also commonly make their way into your home, where they might become a major source of frustration in locations like kitchens and bathrooms.
If you’re seeing ant hills in the lawn, you might be wondering what to do.
Some of the ways that people get rid of ant hills is to pour boiling water or a dish soap/water mixture into the nest to kill the ants.
You can also try to flood the mound with a hose or rake the mounds down.
These methods may help take care of any of the ants that are currently located in the nest. Of course, ants are scavengers, and it’s also quite possible that you’ll miss many of them. You also want to be really careful with boiling water as it can be very dangerous. The last thing that you want is to spill any on yourself.
Boiling water can also potentially kill the lawn in that area.
Optimally, we recommend the use of a professional pest control product applied near the home that will also be taken back to the nest by any scavengers. This can be a lot more effective. This is called Perimeter Pest Control.
We’ll talk about that in the next section.
We find that one of the best ways to deal with ants is to invest in Perimeter Pest Control, which works by creating a “shield” around your property. This will prevent pests like ants from entering your home.
That’s important as any pests that are found in the yard are going to see your home as an appealing hang-out spot if they have the opportunity to get inside.
At Limbwalker, we use a product that is non-repellent. That means the ants (and other pests) will walk right through it and then bring it back to their colony. That’s what makes it so effective.
If it turns out that you find ant hills in your yard, we can apply this same product to the ant hills as well as around the home.
We know that when people think about pest control, they often think of an exterminator. But Perimeter Pest Control has some serious advantages. The focus of a program like this is on “prevention.”
That means keeping unwanted pests from ever making it inside at all.
Perimeter Pest Control also involves treating the outside of your home instead of the inside. People prefer this over having chemicals inside of their homes. And since it’s all outside, you don’t have to be home to receive treatment.
As you search for pest control services, you want to make sure you’re choosing a company that has your best interest at heart. As with any service that you’re paying for, you want to make sure that you’re investing in a company that is going to do it right and help you get the best results.
At Limbwalker, we care deeply about delivering the best possible service and results. We know that unwanted pests make people uncomfortable and it takes away from enjoying their homes to the fullest. But we feel you deserve peace of mind.
A bonus is that our Perimeter Pest Control program covers not just ants but many other common pests like spiders, centipedes, cockroaches, and more. This allows homeowners to let go of their anxieties and feel confident that they’re in good hands.
Are you ready to stop worrying about unwanted pests at your Louisville, KY home? Get in touch with us to get a quote for our perimeter pest control services.