If you didn’t know, ants can become a major problem at times. They can overwhelm the yard and the house, essentially ruining the look of your yard, and might be a threat to beloved animals such as dogs, cats, and even husbandry. However, there are ways to get rid of ants and keep them from coming back ever again.
How Do I Know If I Have Ants?
There are several different types of ants that can invade your home or yard. Some common ants include carpenter ants, pharaoh ants, pavement ants, and fire ants.
If you see any of these types of ants around your home or yard then you should take action immediately because they can cause serious problems if left untreated for too long.
How to Get Rid of Ants in the Yard: 7 Effective Ways
The first step to getting rid of ants in your yard is to find out where they’re coming from.
Ants are attracted to moisture, so if you have a leaky faucet or an overflowing garbage bin in the backyard, it could be attracting them to your yard.
Keep the Ants Away with Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds are a great way to keep ants out of your yard. They don’t like the smell of coffee and will avoid it at all costs. Simply sprinkle some coffee grounds around areas where you see ants or other pests and they will stay away from those areas.
You can also put coffee grounds in places where ants like to hide such as under rocks or near tree trunks so they will be forced out into the open where they can be sprayed with water or killed off with an insecticide spray. This method is also effective at getting rid of ants in your house
Repel Ants with Baking Soda
Ants can be repelled by baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). Baking soda is a natural compound that breaks down into sodium ions and carbon dioxide as it absorbs moisture from its surroundings. Ants hate this chemical reaction and will avoid areas where it occurs.
To repel ants from your yard, sprinkle baking soda around the perimeter of your house or other areas where you want to keep them out (such as near your garden). You can also apply baking soda directly on ant trails or nest entrances using a brush if needed.
Read about: How To Get Rid Of Ants In Your House? 11 Effective Ant Killer Recipes
Drive the Ants out with Cayenne Pepper
You can also use cayenne pepper as an organic way to get rid of ants in your yard. Cayenne pepper has a strong odor that doesn’t appeal to ants and other pests like ticks and fleas.
Sprinkle cayenne pepper around doorways, windowsills, and patio steps where you notice ants coming in from outside.
You also want to sprinkle cayenne pepper along areas where you think they may be traveling through such as cracks or crevices near your foundation or even inside walls if they’re coming in through those areas. This should help drive away the ants.
Read about: How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies in House
Discourage the Ants with Dish Soap
One way to discourage ants from coming into your yard is by using dish soap.
Get a spray bottle or other container and fill it halfway with water. Add a few drops of dish soap and shake it up until the dish soap is dissolved in the water. Then spray this mixture onto areas where ants are seen frequently, such as along sidewalks or around patios.
The dish soap will make these areas less attractive to the ants because it stings their feet when they walk through it.
The soap also has a strong scent that will keep them away from the area altogether if they don’t like how it smells.
Get Some Plants That Repel Ants
If you’d like to keep ants out of your yard completely, certain plants will help keep them at bay. For example, marigolds can help deter ants because they emit an odor that these insects don’t like, it smells like rotten coconut.
Keep in mind that not all plants will deter ants though, some might even attract them.
Boiling Water
Boiling water is a great tool against ants because it kills them on contact. While boiling water alone isn’t going to eradicate an ant infestation, it can be used as part of an integrated approach to pest control.
You can pour boiling water directly into ant nests or spray them directly with it from your garden hose if there’s no other way to reach them. Be careful, however, as boiling water can damage plants and kill beneficial insects like ladybugs if you’re not careful.
Garden Hose Water
You can spray water from a garden hose on ant nests to drown them out or flush them away from your lawn or garden. This method is effective because ants need water to survive, if there’s no water available, they won’t be able to survive long enough to eat your plants.
You should keep the hose running until all signs of the colony have been eliminated.
How to Prevent Ants in the Yard
There are many ways to prevent ants from coming into your yard.
Maintain a healthy lawn
Ants are attracted to lush, green lawns because they provide food and shelter for the colony. Maintaining a healthy lawn will reduce the number of ants in your garden.
The best way to do this is by keeping your grass mowed and watered regularly during hot weather, but avoid over-watering as it can lead to fungus growth on the grass blades.
Trim overgrown shrubs and trees so that sunlight reaches the ground, which will help prevent fungus growth and kill off any dead leaves or branches that could serve as nesting spots for ants.
Remove standing water from your landscape
Ants need water to survive and breed, so keeping it away from their nests will reduce their numbers.
Use ant bait in areas where you have a problem with ants
Once you know where the ants are coming from, put down ant bait near their nests to kill them before they can return home again with food for the queen.
Conclusion
Just remember, patience is key when it comes to controlling the amount of ants you have. If you are in a rush and want to find ant solutions quickly, you will likely not get the best result. And, with any luck, these ant control tips will help you get rid of ants naturally.
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