How to Kill Ants Outdoors

Usually it doesn’t matter if the ants reside outside your home in small numbers. But when they spread or start to find their way into the house, you will have to go out and destroy the ant nest.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Killing ants with traditional insecticides

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Hunting for ant nests. Ant nests can be in the brick outside of the house, in the yard or in the paved path. You can follow an ant that has just retrieved its prey to see where it is going.

If you see ants around an area on the outside wall, their nest is probably there. Look for holes in the wall tiles where the ants get in. Usually, these holes are located between the layers of bricks, where the plaster has broken. You can also find holes under wallboard or in cracks in plastered walls.
You can also identify ant nests with a raised mound of dirt, but they can also be underneath garden cover, gravel, decorative slats, paved roads or lawns. Some species of ants also nest in logs that are rotting or damaged by moisture.
Keep an eye on the ants by spreading some honey, jam, or peanut butter on a piece of cardboard. Place the piece of cardboard as close to the suspected nest as possible and watch as the ants arrive. After eating the bait, they will return to the nest and you will be easier to track. ^{[1] X Trusted Source University of Kentucky Cplege of Agriculture, Food, and Environment Go to source}

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Spray insecticide directly on the ant nest. Ant nests on walls and paved paths should be treated with an insecticide spray containing bifenthrin. Address each area on the spot if the problem is not serious and in easy-to-handle locations. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Both liquid and granular ant repellants are effective.
Insecticides containing carbaryl or pyrethroid also work.

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Spray on the lawn. If you find ant nests or ants gathering in your lawn, use a garden and lawn insecticide. You can also spray on trees and bushes.

Use chemicals on the day of mowing.
Do not spray insecticide on windy day.
Spray in the early morning or late afternoon. These times are when ants are most active.
If you’re using a broad-spectrum insecticide, look for one that contains bifenthrin. You can also take medicines that contain carbaryl or pyrethroids. Note that these drugs will also kill other insects. You should read product labels to know which insects are at risk of being destroyed.
Treat again after 6 weeks if necessary.
Wet ant-infested areas with a diluted insecticide. Mix the medicine in a large bucket and pour it directly on the areas where the ants are.

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Use ant bait. Ant baits as food will attract ants, but the tiny particles that contain poison will kill the ants when they eat the bait. The ants can bring back the bait to share with the whole nest and they will die soon after.

Use a fertilizer spreader to spread the ant bait all over the lawn.
You may have to wait a few weeks to see visible results.
Ant baits are especially effective for killing fire ants.
Alternatively, you can sprinkle ant bait in small piles around floating ant nests, crevices in tiled walkways or other nesting sites and ant paths.

Part 2: Killing ants the natural way

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Pour soapy water into the anthill. Pour hot soapy water into the outdoor ant nest to kill most of the nest. The remaining ants will have to leave or be forced to find a new location.

Mix a decent amount of dishwashing liquid with boiling water. Pour into the ant nest while the hot water evaporates.
The soap will stick to the outside of the ant’s body, keeping the water inside and the ant will die from suffocation.
Similarly, you can also kill ants in flower pots by submerging them in soapy water.

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Use boric acid. Sprinkle boric acid around ant nests in your yard, on a tiled path, or around the house. Use this substance only in dry places.

Be careful with this therapy. Although boric acid is natural in nature, it is still toxic to children and pets.
Or you can mix 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of boric acid with 1 cup (250 ml) of sugar. Add just enough water to make a paste. Place the mixture near the ant nest or along their path. Sugar will attract ants, and boric acid will kill them.

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Seal the ant nest. Tobacco water, talcum powder and glue are the right solutions for you to block the ant nest and kill many ants inside. Pour the material directly into the mouth of the nest, as much as possible to completely seal the nest. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

To make tobacco juice, you need a handful of tobacco, soaked overnight in warm water with twice the amount of water as tobacco. Strain the tobacco and pour the water into the ant’s nest.
Glue and baby powder should be sprinkled into the ant nest through the mouth of the nest.
You can also use talcum powder to sprinkle on ant paths you see. The talcum powder cuts into the ants’ bodies and dehydrates the ants as they crawl across. This can be considered an effective insecticide.

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Sprinkle with diatomite soil (DE). ^{[4] X Research Source} Use food grade DE sprinkled around the ant nest, visible ant paths and around the house. In general, you should sprinkle everywhere ants can congregate.

Keep the diatomite soil dry. Do not allow DE to get wet, as the effectiveness of DE will decrease if wet.
DE does not work immediately, but can kill ants in about 1 or 2 weeks. The ants will crawl through the DE, and the tiny DE particles will cut through the protective outer shell of the ant’s body. As a result, the ants will no longer retain moisture and will eventually die from dehydration.

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Chase ants with orange peels. Using 1-3 orange peels, blend with 1 cup (250 ml) of warm water in a blender. Blend until you have a smooth paste, then pour this mixture into the anthill. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

This therapy is especially effective when dealing with ant nests in the garden, in the yard or along the floor.
Orange peels have a pleasant smell to humans, but most dogs and cats find it unpleasant, so your pet will usually not be attracted to those areas.
The orange peel mixture will kill the ants in direct contact, but most ants will just be driven away.

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Try vinegar. Mix white vinegar and water in equal proportions and pour into a spray bottle. Spray the solution around the ant nests, along the usual paths of ants you know.

You can also pour undiluted white vinegar directly into the ant nest on the lawn.
Vinegar can kill some ants on direct contact in undiluted doses, but most ants will just walk away because they hate the smell of vinegar.

Part 3: Stop it before it gets worse

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Eliminate potential food sources. ^{[6] X Research Source} Prevents ants from colonizing and multiplying in your yard by eliminating all that could be their food source. In particular, you should clean up any spilled food or water and only leave the trash outside in a trash can with a tight-fitting lid.

Do not leave pet leftovers outdoors for more than an hour. Food left outside for a long time needs to be placed in a tray of water to prevent ants from crawling in.
Most ants are attracted to a substance called “sweet juice” secreted by aphids and other sap-eating insects. If you find these bugs in your yard, get rid of them to prevent ants from coming around.

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Eliminate sources of shelter and movement of ants. Ants are often attracted to places where there is shelter and easy access. Eliminating these sources in the yard can prevent ants from nesting, and blocking ant paths will help prevent ants from entering your home.

Trees and bushes need to be at least 15cm away from walls, roofs or wooden floors.
Keep a distance of 7-15 cm between the ground and the floor. Make sure the land slopes away from the house.
Do not store firewood near the house.
Ants love open spaces in your yard, so you should cover the open ground with grass or neatly trimmed plants.
Ants like dry straw, so it’s a good idea to clean up the grass on the lawn.

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Create a barrier against ants around the house. Although ants currently only stop outside the house, they can enter the house at any time. An anti-ant fence around the house is an effective measure to prevent ants from entering the house from the outside.

Look for areas in your home that could be an entry point for ants, such as window frames, door frames, or holes in walls or floors. Use an indoor bug spray to thoroughly spray these areas according to product directions. Medications containing bifenthrin, permethrin, or deltamethrin are usually the best choice, and you should spray a 10-centimeter-wide spray around possible ant entry points.
You should seal any holes you find before the ants find their way into your home.
In addition to the area around your home, spray an outdoor insecticide onto the floor and under the bottom wall tiles. Choose a product labeled “barrier treatment,” and spray about 30 cm wide.

Warning

Be careful when handling chemical insecticides. Most ant poisons are also toxic to people and pets, so you should avoid using them in the presence of small children or pets.

Things you need

Insecticides (chemical or natural)
Thick rubber gloves
Aerosol
Shove

Steps

Part 1: Killing ants with traditional insecticides

Part 2: Killing ants the natural way

Part 3: Stop it before it gets worse

Warning

Things you need

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