Ants are not considered dangerous pests, but they can still pose serious health as well as cosmetic damage to our exterior property including, garden, lawns and shed. If there is anything you need to know about defeating an insect infestation in your home, it is that most of the efforts will be useless unless you get rid of the nest. The same applies to getting rid of a carpenter ant infestation in your yard.
It doesn’t matter if you are constantly warding off or killing occasional ants with homemade remedies or insecticides if you have not identified the nest, there are tens of thousands more waiting to forage through your kitchen for a crumb of bread. A single queen in a colony has the capability of spawning thousands of eggs in a single day. The best method you can use to get rid of the problem once and for all is to get rid of the entire colony.
Getting rid of ants in the yard
A small colony of ants outdoors shouldn’t worry you, but when you begin to notice ants in your house, it’s a sure sign that you have a massive infestation that needs to be dealt with immediately. Using either homemade recipes or store-bought insecticides, you can get rid of the entire colony in no time.
Using pesticides
After you have identified the location of the nest in your yard, spray the ant-repellent pesticide on the nest of the ants, exterminating the ants at the source. Mix about 24 ml of the insecticide with about 3.8 l of water in your pump sprayer to cover each anthill in your yard. It’s important to note that this will not kill all the ants in your yard immediately, but it will keep them controlled for a week. These repellents normally creates a barrier that prevents the ants from crossing, forcing them to bring the poison back to the nest.
Things to note
Identify where the ants are coming from your yard. They normally build their nests near your house along the fence and cracks in the pavement. Check for small mounds of dirt too.
Use ant bait or granules
After successfully locating the entrance to the ant nest in your yard, place the ant bait traps where the ants enter and exit the anthill. Ant baits normally have small granules that attract ants. These granules are laced with poison that kills the ants after digestion. Please note that this method may not work immediately. The ants will take the granules back into the nest with them, meaning it will take sometime before the rest of the colony is affected.
Getting rid of ants with natural remedies
Hot soapy water
Boil water to a steamy state. Mix 2 teaspoons of 5 ml mild liquid dish soap with a gallon of steamy water. Pour the mixture into each carpenter anthill in your yard. The heat and soap combination will kill the ants and prevent them from escaping. For best results, put the solution into a spray bottle. Only pour the solution early in the morning or late at night when all the ants are likely to be inside. Practice caution when pouring hot water into the ant hills, hot water could damage plants around the ant hills.
Use boric acid
You can either use boric acid mixed with warm water or diluted boric acid. Use about three tablespoons of boric acid with one cup of sugar mixed with three cups of water. The mixture is a sweet solution that will attract the ants. Pour the pollution into a spray bottle and spray the ant nests in your yard together with any trails you notice in your property. The results will be visible in the next couple of days. Remember, boric acid is toxic to both humans and pets, use with care and out of reach of children. Clean surfaces, hands, and equipment after preparing the ant killer solution.
Use Diatomaceous earth
This is perhaps the simplest yet most effective method to get rid of ants in your yard. Spread the diatomaceous earth around the ant nest and trails in your yard. You could also sprinkle it around the perimeter of your house as a preventive measure. A bonus is DE is safe to use around pets and children.
In case you have tried any of these methods without success, it might be time to call in the experts. A professional ant control Toronto specialist understands the workings of ant colonies and will be able to get rid of your ant problem for good. Call us today for a free quote.