The ants in your yard are probably not dangerous, but they can be pesky. Here’s how to keep them out of your flower beds and off of your lawn.
On the other hand, beware if you have small children or pets! Some common household ants can harm puppies and kittens by carrying disease into their bodies. If ants are crawling on or near them, you should immediately call a pest control company.
Ant killer and best ant poison for yards comes in two primary forms: sprays that contain insecticides made to kill insects, including ants, and bait that contains substances attractive to the ants but toxic to the insect colony when consumed by its members. If possible, it may be helpful to use both methods simultaneously.
Why Use an Ant Killer?
Ants can be a real nuisance. They invade homes looking for water and food, and they protect aphids as they feed on the honeydew produced by these insects. They may even cause some structural damage as the colony expands over the years, or they can contaminate indoor areas if disturbed.
Ants found outdoors often build their nests in protected areas such as under rocks or logs, in outdoor fireplaces and landscaping timbers, and sometimes between pieces of landscaping timbers stacked together. The first step to eliminating this problem is finding out which type of ant you have to know what kind of treatment is required. Black ants will only nest above ground, while fire ants will nest below ground.
Types of Ants
Black ants are tiny with shiny black bodies. They can form colonies in yards and landscaping timbers, although they tend to be found more often in landscaping timbers than in the yard itself. These ants love moisture and will look for it by invading homes.
Pharaoh ants are tiny, brownish-yellow ants that build nests outdoors but tend to move into the home since they also prefer high humidity. They can nest outside near windowsills, doors, eaves, porches, and patios. Depending on how many queens there are in the colony, these ants may or may not tend to sting people or pets if disturbed enough.
Carpenter ants get there because this type of ant loves to eat wood. These ants need a moist environment to survive and usually live in decaying or rotting wood. They can also build their nests in trees, logs, stumps, and landscaping timbers stacked together.
Fire ants are known for the painful sting when disturbed or squashed. These bold ants love moisture but don’t wait until they invade homes to take over because this type of ant prefers to make its home underground by burrowing deep into the soil around foundations and other areas where water accumulates frequently. In some cases, these colonies may be as large as several thousand ants living underground with multiple queens producing new offspring constantly. Pesticide does not work on fire ants since the colony lives below the ground, and the pesticide cannot reach them where they live. If you have a fire ant problem, it’s best to call in a pest control expert who knows how to eliminate these types of ants without killing off bees, butterflies, and other insects living in the environment.
Many different kinds of ants can invade your yard or home at any time. Knowing what type of ant is causing this nuisance will determine which treatment is required to eliminate your problem for good.
