Fighting ants in the lawn: How to get rid of annoying nests
Do you notice small mounds on your lawn? If you look closely, do you notice that insects are running through the mound? Then it is probably an ant nest. The animals are actually useful for your lawn: Nevertheless, you may feel disturbed by them and fear that they will soon colonize your patio too.
In this article, we summarize for you what types of ants there are and whether you need to fight them. We also give you three effective tips on how to get rid of ant nests and address the question of whether you can prevent ant nests in the lawn.
What types of ants settle on lawns?
In Germany, the black garden ant and the yellow meadow ant are particularly common.
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Should I control ants in my lawn? Are they pests?
Ants are not pests and can even be beneficial for your lawn.
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Tip 1: Relocate ants in the garden:
You can easily relocate ants by offering them a new nest in a flower pot.
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Tip 2: Get rid of ants in the lawn:
You can control ants with unpleasant odors, nematodes, lawn care and moisture.
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What types of ants settle on lawns?
Your garden is a paradise for all kinds of insects. Bees, bumblebees or beetles: more animals are at home in your garden than you might think. Ants probably live in your garden too. They build their nests in many German gardens and live there in large colonies.
Two species are particularly widespread: the black garden ant and the yellow meadow ant. These creatures are widespread in Europe and can be found in many meadows.
Why is it so important to identify the type of ant? This is because some species are protected and may not be controlled. This includes the red wood ant. The species is considered potentially endangered and is therefore under special protection. You can recognize it by its characteristic red color.
Should I control ants in my lawn? Are they pests?
Although many people find ants annoying, these small insects are not pests. Quite the opposite: they are actually useful for your lawn. They build small tunnels through the soil. In doing so, they automatically loosen it, which ensures better ventilation. In gardens with heavily compacted soil, ants can be really useful.
One problem, however, is that ants often build their nests under lawns. This can cause the ants to damage the roots of your lawn. They become loosened and can no longer absorb enough water and nutrients from the soil.
As a result, your lawn may die. It may therefore be advisable to remove an ant nest from the lawn to prevent more serious damage.
Ants and their relationship to other insects
Ants can not only damage your lawn, but also cause indirect damage. Ants protect aphids. If a plant is infested with aphids, you will often find ants on it. This is because ants milk the aphids, eat their sweet honeydew and thus profit from them. The same applies to root aphids. These are also protected by ants.
Tip 1: Relocate ants in the garden
Do you want to remove the ants from your lawn and relocate them to another location? This is a good option, especially for smaller nests, and does not harm the animals.
You can build a replacement nest for the ants. Fill a flowerpot with wood wool and place it upside down on the ant nest or ant trail. Within a few days, the ants will relocate and take over the pot.
Then push the flowerpot onto a spade and transport it to a suitable location. Ideally, this should be more than 30 meters away from the original nest. It is important that you wait until the queen is in the flowerpot before relocating it. This usually takes two to three days.
Once the ants are gone, you should examine your lawn more closely. If bare patches have formed, you should reseed them as quickly as possible. We recommend our fast-germinating seed for this.
Tip 2: Get rid of ants in the lawn
If you don't want to relocate the ants, you can also try to drive them away. There are some conditions that are very unpleasant for ants - if you create these in your garden, you can drive the insects away without much effort.
We summarize the most effective methods for you:
Lots of moisture:
Ants prefer a dry location for their nests. Therefore, you should water your lawn thoroughly. This can cause the ants to relocate. Watering the ant nest is particularly effective. At the same time, your lawn will also appreciate the additional moisture.
Extensive lawn care:
Mowing, fertilizing, scarifying - these are the jobs that disturb the ants. Extensive lawn care has two advantages at once: it drives ants out of the lawn and of course also has a positive effect on the condition of your lawn.
Unpleasant smells:
There are some smells that ants don't like. With a home remedy like this, you can easily get rid of ants. We recommend cinnamon, cloves and lavender. Vinegar, on the other hand, can also damage your lawn and should therefore not be used any more than chemical products.
Nematodes:
Another option is to scare away ants with the help of their predators. Nematodes eat ant larvae - if ants notice the nematodes, they move their nest to protect their offspring. At the same time, nematodes also eat numerous pests and are therefore particularly useful.
As you can see, you can get ants to relocate using simple household remedies. There is no cost involved and neither the animals nor your lawn will be harmed.
Tip 3: Fighting ants
If relocation and expulsion do not work, there is still the option of fighting the ants. Various household remedies such as baking soda, baking powder and a beer trap can be used for this. These methods are successful in many cases, but they also lead to the death of the insects.
Alternatively, you could try to provide a home for the ants' natural predators. These include birds, dragonflies and beetles. If these settle in your garden, they will eat the ants and your lawn can recover.
There are also various remedies for ants. However, keep in mind that these can also damage your lawn and have a negative impact on the ecosystem.
Can I prevent ants in the lawn?
Yes, there are various tips that you can use to keep ants away from your lawn and prevent them. The easiest way is to take care of your lawn regularly. Mowing and scarifying disturbs ants and can prevent them from settling in your lawn in the first place. Intensive watering also benefits your lawn and makes it unattractive to ants at the same time.
Also make sure not to leave any crumbs or food scraps on your lawn. Sweet foods in particular attract ants and can lure them onto your lawn. You can find more tips on proper lawn care on our blog.
Frequently asked questions about proper lawn care in case of an ant infestation
You have a lot of ants in your lawn because they multiply quickly. If there was only a small colony living on your lawn to begin with, it can quickly develop into a large nest. The more ants there are, the greater the risk that the roots of your lawn will be damaged.
Ants are good in the garden. The insects aerate your soil with their tunnels. They also eat dead plant parts. At the same time, however, they can quickly become a nuisance if they take over your patio and cause damage to your lawn.
You can scare ants away with your lawn care by making it uncomfortable for them. Flood their nests, scarify and mow regularly. If you lime or sand your lawn, there's a good chance that you'll scare the ants away.
Conclusion: Get rid of ant nests in the lawn with simple household remedies
Do you want to get rid of ants in your garden? As this article has shown, it's not that difficult. Often, simple household remedies are enough to scare the little creatures away. We recommend that you try relocating them or scaring them away first, because they don't harm the ants and can be a great help.