How to Get Rid of Ants in Grass Naturally (No Damage to Grass)

Ants love grass—it’s one of their favorite foods. They are fascinating insects and tough to get rid of, especially from the lawn. If you have ants in your yard, you might be wondering how to get rid of ants in grass naturally.

If you’re reading this article with an ant farm nearby, we can see why you might see them as undesirable guests. Unfortunately for you and fortunately for the ants, they don’t seem to mind sharing their home with millions of other insects and setting up colonies on the lushest patch of grass they could find.

There’s no need to panic; there are many ways to get rid of these pests and protect your grass from their attack. In this article, we have covered several great tips on how to get rid of ants permanently from the yard.

Some Products at Amazon to Get Rid of Ants From Lawn:

• Terro Outdoor Liquid Ant Bait Stakes
• EcoRaider Ant Killer (Citrus scent)
• Amdro Fire Ant Yard Treatment Bait
• EcoSMART Insect Killer Granules

Why are there ants in my grass?

Ants are part of the ecosystem on your lawn. They eat bugs and other insects that might harm your plants. They also aerate the soil so that air, water, and nutrients can reach the roots of your plants.

The soft ground under the grass provides the perfect hiding ground for ants that protect them from predators. Many ants build their nests in or under lawn areas.

They prefer well-drained soil in lawns that isn’t compacted. Most often, numerous ants migrate into and lay eggs in lawns and flower beds that have been skillfully taken care of, threatening good landscaping.

A small colony of ants can be helpful to your lawn as they help move nutrients across the yard. They carry out pest control by devouring aphids, mosquitoes, and other parasites that may harm your garden.

Ants feed on the grass to help re-establish soil fertility through digestion and decomposition, removing dead material and insects.

Some ants that infest your garden are major or black ants, carpenter ants, and ghost ants. Also, terrestrial ant species associated with your garden are red-colored fire ants, big black ants, wide funnel pharaoh ants, and dark cornfield ants.

Why should you get rid of ants on your lawn?

Ants can be annoying, persistent, and destructive. They can even bite humans, causing itchy red welts that can be tricky to treat. A smaller ant colony isn’t considered a threat to your lawn as they help with aeration and plant growth.

However, some ant types can create several networks of tunnels underground to make their home. This may cause significant damage to the grassroots.

Farming ants secrete hormones to attract aphids in your garden, where ants use them as a food source. A large ant colony often forms unsightly mounds that attract other insects and make the lawn mowing difficult.

It can be challenging to work out in your yard if you have ants running around, and many people get very upset by the presence of ants close to their homes.

How to get rid of ants in grass naturally?

If you’ve noticed an infestation of ants in your lawn or garden, you have some options to get rid of them—but they can be complicated. You must professionally treat some severe ant infestations, but often, the best way to get rid of ants in your lawn and garden is with natural remedies.

Follow these tips to get rid of ants in grass permanently:

Pour boiling water over an ant nest

Boiling water drowns ants and dries them out on contact with its steam. It also breaks the core of the ant nest, so any remaining ants are likely to move on in a new direction.

You have to be careful when pouring hot water on grass as it destroys the delicate cell of grass blades. Careless use can harm your grass and kill your lawn plants.

Use soapy water to destroy ants in the grass

A small amount of eco-friendly soap mixed with water will kill ants from your lawn while being safe for your grass. Just be sure that you’re using an environmentally safe soap that contains few toxic chemicals.

The soap breaks down the ant’s cell walls and destroys their protecting wax coating. The protective wax coating prevents ants from losing moisture through the body.

Adding oil to the solution will clog ants’ breathing tubes called spiracles that they need to breathe.

To make your insecticide spray, combine one tablespoon of soap with one quart of water. Mix it properly and pour the solution into a spray bottle. Spray the mixture liberally on any ant trails and plants and around the ant colony.

You have to pour soapy water directly on the ant or their nesting mound as only ants that contact it will get killed. Soap can harm the plants sometimes, so you have to be careful when applying it.

Apply Borax

Borax is a natural and safe substance that can be used to get rid of ants in the garden. Borax is a mineral made from boric acid, and it has been used for centuries in many ways.

It was traditionally used as an insecticide, but it’s mainly used as a household cleaner. You can buy borax at your local supermarket or hardware store.

You can use borax to kill ants in the garden by mixing it with water and spraying it on them. You should also try to spray some around the perimeter of your house where ants might come into contact with the ground, which will make them less likely to enter your home.

You can also use the borax to make ant bait by mixing it with food that ants are attracted to. Where possible, create multiple baits made of solid and liquid food. You can place these baits in different areas where you see ants roaming.

When using borax, you have to be careful as it’s toxic to humans and pets if inhaled or ingested. You should use gloves and protective eyewear when making and setting up baits. Don’t apply borax on plants that you want to keep.

Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a natural product that can be used to kill ants in the grass. It’s a fossilized algae that is formed on the earth. This isn’t something ants like because they’re hurt when they step on it.

Ants are drawn to it, and it’s safe to use around pets. Some people get concerned about using DE, but it’s entirely safe to use as you can include it in the pet food to assist against fleas.

It doesn’t cause any health concerns when consumed by pets, but sometimes the only problem isn’t letting pets inhale it due to very fine particles of DE. To be safe, you can keep pets away from the lawn for 2–3 days to let the ground absorb DE, then let your pets run free on the property.

Besides removing ants, plants benefit from diatomaceous earth as it’s composed of potassium, magnesium, and calcium, which are all nutrients your lawn requires.

There are two types of DE available; food-grade and industrial grade. You should use a food-grade DE to get rid of ants or even spiders as it’s safe to use around children and pets.

Spray Chili or Cayenne Pepper

Spraying chili or cayenne pepper is a natural way to get rid of ants without killing the grass. Capsaicin is an active ingredient in chili peppers that makes them spicy.

Insects have tiny little pores on their exoskeleton, which they use to intake oxygen from the air and release carbon dioxide.

Capsaicin blocks these pores by irritating their exterior, causing them to suffocate from hyper-exposure to carbon dioxide. You can spray chili pepper water directly onto an anthill. Keep pets and children away from the lawn as it may irritate them.

Cinnamon oil spray

Cinnamon oil spray on ants kills them, but you have to be careful not to use it in excess as it can also kill plants. You can mix a few drops of cinnamon oil in water and fill it in a spray bottle.

If you don’t have cinnamon oil, you can grind cloves and fill them in a spray bottle. Cloves may not be as effective as cinnamon oil, but they will be mildly effective.

Salt and sugar water mix

To get rid of ants in your garden, you can use salt and powdered sugar water mix. Ants are attracted to sweet things and will be drawn to the saltwater.

Mix a cup of salt and sugar with a gallon of water and spray it around the ant mounds and their trails. The ants will drink the saltwater and get severely dehydrated, eventually killing them.

Sprinkle baby powder

To get rid of ants in your garden, you can sprinkle baby powder or baking soda around where they’re nesting. Plain flour may also work if you don’t have baby powder.

As ants breathe through pores in their exoskeleton, known as spiracles, the finer particles in baby powder clog these spiracles, preventing ants from getting oxygen and suffocating.

Use Vinegar

Vinegar is a natural and organic way to get rid of ants in your garden. Vinegar is a very effective ant killer, and it will prevent ants from coming back to your garden.

Mix How one-part white vinegar to three parts water and spray on ant-infested regions. Ants’ bodies won’t be sturdy enough against the acidity. As a result, the acidity in vinegar destroys the ants.

Another option is to pour the mixture into the anthill. Mixing vinegar with water will create a solution that ants can’t resist, so you should spray this mixture on the ground where the ants are coming from or where they have been seen.

Take care when using vinegar, as the acetic acid dries out any grass blades that it touches. If you pour a hefty dose of vinegar mixture on an anthill, it may turn the grass to become brown.

Break the ant nest

Use a rake to break the ant nest’s entire colony. It forces them to find another location where the queen ant can lay eggs. You can also use a stick to dig down any ant tunnel under the ground. Ants are pretty sensitive and like to nest where they can live undisturbed.

This method doesn’t cost anything and is toxic-free. It may be very effective for the smaller scale ant infestation to permanently eliminate them. Whenever you find an ant nest, you should try to break it apart so the ants can’t return.

Can you get rid of ants without killing the grass?

If you want to remove ants from your garden without killing the grass, you can use a few tricks.

• Ants like moist and wet soil. To keep them away from your plants, try watering them less or using an organic ant killer safe for pets and children.
• Keep your yard tidy and remove any potential nesting sites, such as piles of leaves and grass clippings leftover from previous mowing sessions or rotting logs.
• Instead of killing the ants, it’s much easier to stop them from coming back again by eliminating their food source.
• Finally, if you prefer organic solutions, you can use a homemade mixture of sugar and borax. Mix equal parts sugar and borax in an open bowl or on a plate. The ants will eat it up but won’t harm the grass.

How to get rid of ants in the yard while making it safe for pets?

Several different ant species frequently invade homes. Keeping them out is easy, but getting rid of them can be tricky once they’ve made themselves home. The best way to prevent an ant infestation is through education and prevention.

The sooner you catch the problem early on, the easier it will be to eliminate the ants permanently. With the right combination of natural solutions and preventative measures as described above, you can effectively remove ants from your yard and keep them away for good!

You’ll likely find that numerous natural remedies are perfect for eliminating these pesky insects from your yard without posing a threat to pets. If your pet is small enough, consider placing ant-proof stations around the property to keep them from roaming too far and coming into contact with ants.

In the worst case of ant infestation, you can use commercially available ant bait stations. While the bait stations typically contain poison, there’s a safe box that contains it.

My recommendation is to keep an eye on your pets while using these bait stations. But for most pets, these plastic enclosed bait stations are of little interest to them.

What is the best homemade ant killer?

The most common but effective homemade ant killer is borax, a white powder mixed with water. Borax is usually placed in areas where ants are likely to come, such as near garbage cans or under the kitchen sink. But it shouldn’t be put down anywhere near plants because borax will kill them.

The other effective way to control ants is using a liquid spray, which you can spray on the ants and their nests. You can also use it as an ant bait, which you can put down in areas where ants are likely to come.

People recommend some other homemade solutions, such as coffee grounds, cornmeal, mint, and lemon juice, but we don’t find them effective in killing or warding off ants.

How to get rid of ants in a sandy yard?

If you have a sandy yard, spot treatments are the most effective in getting rid of ants. You can use a spray or granular form of ant solution to control the ant population. Locate the nest and treat the location as directed on the label before applying the spray.

Mow your lawn to the appropriate height, water it enough, and fertilize it at the right time for your grass type. Ants are more likely to infest a sparse lawn than a thick one.

Chili flakes, pepper flakes, cayenne pepper sauce, orange peels, and cucumber peels can all be employed to immunize sandy yards from ant invasion.

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed our blog post on how to get rid of ants in grass naturally. We want to make your yard an ant-free zone so that you can enjoy the peaceful scenery.

Look no further, as we have a few tips to help you get rid of the ants. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us!

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