Although not as harmful to turf as wormcasts, ant hills can disfigure lawns and are a big problem in your lawn. They usually appear in summer, especially prevalent in damp conditions and should be dispersed by brushing the soil when dry. This will avoid smearing them on the lawn when mowing. Over time left untreated the lawn may become uneven. Ants can also damage roots which may cause yellowing.
Did you know:
- There are more than 12,000 species of ants all over the world
- An ant can lift 20 times its own body weight
- Some queen ants can live for many years and have millions of babies!
- Ants don’t have ears. Ants “hear” by feeling vibrations in the ground through their feet
- When foraging, ants leave a pheromone trail so that they know where they’ve been
- Queen ants have wings, which they shed when they start a new nest.
- When the queen of the colony dies, the colony can only survive a few months. Queens are rarely replaced and the workers are not able to reproduce.
Ants can be controlled by treating with either biological nematodes or chemical treatments.
We recommend the following methods of Ant Control:
- Home Defence Ant Stop® Granules (use as a drench on lawns)
Application Time: When first noticed, a proactive approach works best.
- Home Defence ANTSTOP!® Granules contain Spinosad, an active ingredient derived from natural soil bacterium. The product is not designed to kill ants instantly, so they take the ANTSTOP! back to the nest and the entire colony is destroyed.
Available from retailers, our van and our shop
- Biological Control: Nemasys “No Ants”
Application Time: Typically April through to September
- Control Product: Nemasys No Ants – environmentally friendly and safe for children, pets, wildlife and bees.
The nematodes act as an irritant and the ants are displaced from their colonies. Where ant levels are very high repeat applications may be required to prevent the ants returning to the colony.
Apply when ant activity is visible on top of the lawn, typically April through to September. Apply to moist lawns and water them in well. Make sure the lawn does not dry out for at least two weeks after applying nematodes.
Nematodes are available direct from our shop
What to do next?
Decide on which control or deterrent method will be best for and get started on controlling those ants.
Use Pesticides Safely. Always Read the label and product information before use