Outdoor Ant Control: Killing Ants in the Lawn
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Do you have an ant problem in your yard?
The following question came from a reader through Spring-Green’s Ask the Lawn Care Expert Q & A. Read to learn how Harold suggests removing an ant problem in your yard.
“Dear Lawn Care Expert, I have patches of slightly dry, yellow grass amongst healthy green grass. When I dug up one of the yellow patches, there was a large amount of ants underneath! Can the ants damage the grass roots? What chemicals can I use to best treat this problem? Thanks in advance.”Thank you for sending in your question! Generally, ants do not feed on grass roots, but their activity can loosen the soil around the roots. This lessens the turf’s ability to seek water and nutrients and can lead to eventual death of the grass plant. This is especially true during dry periods. We don’t normally recommend an insect control application for ants as they don’t cause significant damage, but there are always exceptions to any rule. When thinking about how to kill ants in the lawn, the first thing I suggest you do is to keep the area well-watered (one inch of water per week). I also suggest you purchase an insect control product that contains either bifenthrin or permethrin and apply it to the areas where the ants are located. Be sure to read and follow all label directions before using any pest control product, including those for outdoor ant control. Bayer Advanced makes a product called Complete Ant Killer Plus; it is labelled for residential use and contains two active ingredients that will control the majority of ants in your lawn. Do you have a question about your yard? Contact our lawn care expert, Harold Enger!