Things to do if you see an ant hill
Spending time outdoors enjoying your yard is one of the best things to do, especially in the spring, summer, and fall seasons in Arkansas and Oklahoma. But an ant infestation can spoil even the most pleasant day outdoors. Depending on the type of ant nesting on your property, you and your loved ones may be at risk for serious medical complications associated with the bites and stings of certain types of ants, such as fire ants. The risks of medical issues associated with these bites and stings are even higher for very young and elderly people. In order to protect your loved ones, you’ll want to be proactive if you see an anthill.
How to identify an ant hill:
An ant hill is a mound of soil that you might find in your yard or garden. It is basically composed of tiny rocks, dirt, sand, clay, and various kinds of decomposed organic material. An ant hill is essentially a home or nest that is built by the queen and worker ants so that the entire ant colony may live together. The structure of the mound is created by worker ants who carry underground dirt up and out of the entrance to the ant hill. Continuous earth displacement results in the dome-like or mound-like shape of the nest. Under what looks like a large lump of dirt from the outside is concealed networks of tunnels for the ant colony to occupy. Ant colonies can grow to enormous sizes inside an ant hill.
What to do if you see an ant hill:
If you see an ant hill on your property, there are several things you can do yourself to help eradicate it. However, don’t forget that for stubborn ant hills or other signs of infestation or activity that just won’t go away no matter what you do, you can always hire trustworthy, trained/certified, professional exterminator technicians to come out to your home and take care of your ant problems for you–no need to stress about recurring problems and knowing whether you are using any pesticide products safely around your pets and family members.
Here are a few things you can do yourself if you see an ant hill:
- Pour boiling water into the ant hill opening. This is the easiest and likely to be the most effective DIY method to destroy an ant hill. Adding liquid soap to the boiling water will help you trap and drown the ants in the hill.
- Sprinkle boric acid powder on the ant hill’s opening. Boric acid is a highly toxic chemical that will directly kill ants upon contact. You can also make a paste with boric acid by mixing it with water and sugar. Sugar will help disguise the chemical and will make it more appetizing and attractive to ants. The water will help the boric acid flow into all chambers of the hill.
For professional, reliable help, call West Termite, Pest & Lawn today.
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