Question: There are multiple ant hills all over my lawn. How can I get rid of them?
Answer: Several types of ants can be found inhabiting lawns and flower beds, building their mounds and creating an unsightly appearance. They are more commonly found in soils that are dry, have low water holding capacity, or well-draining as in our sandy soil. As they build their tunnels, they can break off roots and increase the drying out of the soil. Large mounds of sand can also smother grass causing the area to become thin and unattractive.
Ants live in colonies that can be as large as thousands of individuals. Most are workers that are foraging for food, constructing and defending the nest, and tending the queen and young. In 2 to 3 years the colony is mature and some of the ants develop into winged males and females. When winged males leave their nests sometimes they cause concern as they are mistaken for termites. To distinguish between a termite and ant take a close look at the antennae and waist. Ants have bent antennae, termites have straight ones. Ants have a constricted waist and termites have a broad waist.
After leaving the nest the females and males mate, with the male dying soon afterward. The mated female or queen flies to a nesting site, removes her wings, encloses herself and begins laying eggs. There she remains and continues to produce eggs for the rest of her life.
In home lawns, ants seldom cause serious damage. As part of the ecosystem they can have a beneficial effect as predators providing a level of control of certain pests. In most lawn areas the turfgrass ant eats large numbers of eggs and small larvae of white grubs, sod webworms, and cutworms. They also have many natural enemies. If the decision is made to use a broad spectrum insecticide to control the ants you may be killing additional important insect predators.
When control is warranted several registered insecticides are available for the home lawn. Best control is accomplished when application is made as soon as the mounds become apparent. Applications made directly to the mound are most effective. This limited application reduces the amount of pesticide used but make take longer to achieve complete control. If the entire lawn is treated it should be watered immediately. Do not allow children to play on the lawn until it has completely dried. As always when using a pesticide read the label directions carefully.