Ants are perhaps one of the most common pests. There are over 12,000 species of ants spread out through the world. If you have a vegetable garden, you have probably come across ant hills. Ant hills are composed of tiny particles of soil, rock, and decomposed material. They are usually a result of the queen and worker ants trying to establish a home for the rest of the colony. The ant hill gets its structure from the ant’s action trying to get underground dirt back out into the entrance.
The continuous displacement of the soil by the ants results in a dome-shaped structure of the nest. Underneath the ground surface, the worker ants continue to create a network of tunnels as the ant colony expands from thousands to millions.
How Ant Hills Function
Ant hills are complex, Underground; ants build complex networks of tunnels that spread out, with different chambers for special purposes. They have chambers for storing food, for eggs, for resting and for the queen.
At dusk, the worker ants carry the eggs to the queen’s chamber that is close to the surface of the ground. This helps provide the warmth that is needed for the eggs to hatch eventually. After the workers return the eggs to the lower chambers. Ants use the earth as insulation against tough weather conditions.
Destroying an Ant hill
If you have destroyed an ant hill before, then you understand how frustrating it can become seeing it crop back again after all the work you put in. If this happens, it means the entire colony was not compromised, and the queen is still alive. Getting rid of ant hills can be a handful because of the following reasons:
• Chopping off an ant hill won’t get rid of the colony
• To destroy a colony, the queen or even queens need to be compromised (not the easiest thing to do)
• Some ants build their colonies with complex designs that make destroying it difficult.
What is the Best Way to Get Rid of an Ant Hill?
When you spot a small mound of dirt in your lawn, it might not seem like a serious problem. However, an ant infestation is far much worse. If left to thrive, an ant colony can easily grow into millions of ants covering the entire surface of your garden or lawn underneath. With such numbers, they can infest your kitchen, garden, and structures, if you don’t act fast. The following are simple ways you can get rid of an ant hill you can read about other homemade ant killer here.
Pour Boiling Water
This is perhaps the fastest and easiest way to get rid of an ant hill. This method has proven effective wiping out most of the population. It’s important that you make sure the water is steaming as you pour the water into the nest entrance.
Ant hills are built with networks, that spread out as you go deep, but the water normally finds its way through the colony killing any ant on its path. To make this method more effective, you could add liquid soap to the solution. The soap helps trap the insect’s body, forcing it to drown.
Boric acid
If using hot water feels a little bit extreme, you could use boric acid as an alternative. Boric acid is one of the most effective remedies used against ants. You can use it as powder sprinkling it directly over the ant hill entrance and around it. Boric acid is a deadly compound and will kill an ant on contact.
You can also use boric acid in paste form by mixing it with sugar and water. Sugar will lure in the ants. The water makes the solution flow easily through the tunnels and chambers of the hill.
Using bait
In case you have children or pets in your household, for safety purposes, it’s best you incorporate bait stations, instead of using boric acid directly on the anthill. Using bait station keeps the chemical remedy out of reach of children and pets while still offering tempting access for the target ants.
When the ants visit the bait station, they will carry back some of the chemical infecting the whole colony as a result. For maximum results makes sure you place the bait station next to the anthill crater.
If you have tried all the above methods with minimal results, its advisable to consult an ant control Toronto expert, they have the experience and knowledge to get rid of the anthill and ensure the ants don’t set up a colony in your property again.