Derwood

I just got home from a 2 week business trip, and have found that about half a dozen ant hills have sprung up in my back yard. While there is no imminent danger in them, they aren't pretty to look at, and the soil that they've been built out of is taller now than the grass.

What's the cleanest/safest way to get rid of them? I have a small dog and a 2 year old who use the yard daily, so I don't want to get into any terribly strong poisons or the like.

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ratbastid

Terro. Go to http://www.terro.com/. This is the only stuff I've ever seen that actually works on ants.

Ninjasideshow

Are they the rediculous southern bite really hard ants? Otherwise invest in some bird feeders, birds eat ants as well.

canuckguy

I had an issue with ants before and wanted a safe way to get rid of them, surprisely cinnamon worked well and it did not affect my cat/dog. I also used an off the shelf ant killer, the kinda of liquid that goes after the queen after been carried away by the worker ants. worked like a charm in the areas that i could keep my animals away from.

i used the cinnamon in areas near my house around the foundation. btw the reason i had ants near my house was because i had a bird feeder close to my kitchen window. so be weary of using birds to rid the ants as the ants were after the drops seeds from the feeder.

Powderedmaggot

Borax works great. Add a little icing sugar if you want them to eat more. It is a laundry soap so it is non toxic (unless you are eating your weight of the stuff I guess).

CoachAlan

If you know what kind of ant it is, you can generally Google the name and numerous sites will tell you how to get rid of them. In my experience, bait works best, because the ants bring it back to the nest and it kills them at the source, including the queen.

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MSD

I've always had success just stomping them down, but there are a lot of kids in my neighborhood and my cat always rolls aroudn in the yard, so I don't want to use chemicals. I will, however, admit to pouring gas into one or two and lighting it. It's sadistic, but the flame at the top sucks out the air and they die underground where they can turn back into dirt.

gonadman

Pour boiling water on the hills. Works for me every time here in PA. Non toxic


Try not to burn yourself

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SLITWILLIE

I have had the best results when I use one quart of 93 Octane (Chevron 93 that is) per inch and one match stick. Just pour over mound, stand about 1 1/2 feet back, light match then slowly toss onto mound. Drink Beer!!!

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aphex140

Sounds like a plan the nests can go deep

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sky_driver

Amdro works great for me in Georgia. I just sprinkle some on and around the mound and within 1 day the ant hill is DEAD. I won't use anything else. It has proven itself to me.

biznatch

I have a strange affection for ants..weird, but I truly believe they're cool animals. Such an organized society.

trib767

Boiling water!

Joan of Arc

Never mind all those silly ole remedies. Try this:
Maxforce
Fire Ant Killer Granular Bait

Active Ingredient: Hydramethylnon ...1.0%
The new mound eraser kills the queen and the colony. This professional bait contains the same active ingredient as used in other Maxforce products - but at twice the strength!

or

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Grasshopper Green

I have to second ratbastid on the terro. Used to use that stuff when I lived in NC, it worked like a charm. I used the little bottle that's down towards the bottom...they eat it and bring it back for everyone else to eat....and it kills them all. I looked at the FAQ and it said it is not toxic to pets or humans. Good luck on solving your problem!!

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james t kirk

I always am just a liiiiittttttllllllllleeeeee skeptical about claims like these.

"Yes boys and girls, our product will wipe out armoured plated bugs that have been on this earth since the dinosaur and were in fact the only creature to survive at ground zero in both Haroshima and Nagasaki, but YOU can safely sprinkle it on your cheerios and you will be perfectly OK"

"OK"

"OK"

samiam

Since our area will not allow us to use pesticides, I have been using commercial dessicants made especially to kill ants and other crawling insects by dryng them out. You would have to check carfully with the manufacturer and a Poison Control Centre to make sure. The sales person assured me that the stuff was harmless, but they wanted to make a sale.

sanjuanworm

grits
it works

Ishmal

could someone explain this to me???

i've never heard that method before!!

how does it work??

does it work well?

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iamnormal

Go to the hardware store and get some acetone. Pour about a tablespoon of it in the mound. Then step on the mount to close the holes.
We used acetone in school to kill bugs for bug collecting.
You may allready have it at home cause it is used in nail polish remover.

I'm a Slacker

hose or piss

ngdawg

I pour boiling water on them.

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thingstodo

Bump to that! This stuff works inside. It does so because they carry the stuff back to the queen and she dies. When you kill ants the queen just ups her production and the battle never ends.

I had tons of fire ants in FL several years ago and bated the hills with some pricy stuff....but it worked after a few weeks and they never returned after three more years.

Kill the queen, kill the nest!

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pyrodude

GRITS!!!!!!!

Joan of Arc

If you're talking about fire ants, Amdro works really well.

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thingstodo

Sure does. Just make sure you follow the directions and DON"T touch the mounds!

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