When most people think of ant infestations, they imagine tiny critters crawling around the inside of their home. While it can certainly be frustrating when ants make their way into your house, they can be equally troubling when they’re outside of your home. In fact, failing to address outdoor ants near your home will greatly increase your chances of an indoor infestation.
If you step outside for some fresh air and notice a large number of ants around your home, it’s time to take action and protect your property from these pests. Learn how to kill ants outside so that you can keep your yard and your home pest-free.
Recurring Infestations
If you’re like most homeowners, you’ve probably eliminated an ant infestation in your home only to have these pests return at full force a few days later. The reason for this is very simple: You failed to kill the ants outside.
Many ant infestations are a result of having an ant hill in your yard and unless you get rid of the ant hill, your home will never be completely free from these insects. However many ants you see in your home, there are thousands more in the colony waiting for their chance to make their way into your house. Even if it seems like you’ve gotten rid of all the ants near your home, queens can lay eggs that total in the thousands on a daily basis.
Eliminating the ant colony is the only way to rid your home of ants once and for all. Fortunately, killing ants outdoors isn’t as tough as you might imagine and there are a few methods you can try to solve your bug problem.
Try Ant Baits
Although there are several options you could try when attempting to kill ants outdoors, the best place to start is using ant baits. When you lay out baits, ants will take the poison inside back to their colony, hopefully killing the majority of the ants in your yard, including the queen.
Because it’s likely you have different species of ants in your yard, you should buy a variety of baits. Purchasing both sugar baits and baits that contain grease and protein will allow you to kill a wider range of ants outdoors. If you’ve already sprayed an insecticide in your yard, you should place your baits in different area, as the insecticide will drive the ants away from the bait.
You will need to place your baits evenly around your yard, spacing them between ten and twenty feet apart. Wait a few days for the ants to notice the bait and take the poison back to the colony. Depending on the number of ants in your yard, you may need to refill your bait a few times to get the job done.
Use Boiling Water
If you have multiple ant hills in your yard that you need to destroy, your best solution is using boiling water. Since this method can be a bit labor intensive, it should only be used if you’re dealing with more than one hill. This option is also environmentally friendly, which can be a concern for many homeowners.
The reason this method takes so much effort is that you’ll need a large amount of water for every ant hill that you need to destroy. Find a large container, such as a soup pot, fill it with water, and set it to boil. Once the water is boiling, use protective gloves to remove the pot from the stove.
Carry the pot of boiling water to the ant hill and then pour the water onto the hill. You should be very cautious when pouring to avoid burning yourself or killing the grass around the ant hill. Repeat this process for all the ant hills in your yard.
Although using boiling water can be a very effective solution, you must be sure that you’re hitting every ant hill in your yard. Leaving even one ant hill and its queen behind means you’ll be dealing with an infestation in the near future.
Anthill Treatment
Image via Flickr by Sam Beebe
Applying anthill treatment is another option for killing ants outdoors if you have numerous ant hills in your yard. You should be very cautious when applying your treatment because this method involves using chemicals.
Before you can apply anthill treatment, you’ll need to choose the right product. Anthill treatment is available in several forms, including solid treatments. Whichever option you choose, you should be able to kill the ants in your yard if you use the treatment correctly.
It’s important that you choose a day where the weather is good to apply your treatment. When the weather is pleasant, ants will be closer to the top of the hill, which will make your treatment more effective.
Be sure to follow the instructions on your ant treatment exactly when applying. For example, if you choose a solid treatment, you will likely need to activate it by pouring water. After you’ve finished applying the treatment, you shouldn’t use the container for any other purpose.
Apply Insecticide to Your Yard
If you’re looking to kill ants outdoors and want to keep them away from your home for good, your best option is applying insecticide to your entire yard. Although this method can be time consuming, it will be well worth the effort if you’re able to eliminate your problem.
Before you can apply insecticide to your yard, you’ll need to mow it. This makes it easier for your insecticide to get into the soil so it can kill the ants. Once the grass is mowed, you can apply your insecticide. Choosing a spray option will make the application much easier. After you’re finished, make sure to reapply your insecticide at least once a month for full protection.
Kill Ants OutsideNow that you know how to kill ants outside, you should easily be able to keep your home pest-free, particularly if you’re vigilant about destroying ant hills. If you’re dealing with multiple hills, you may want to consult a professional before choosing your pest-control solution.
