How to get rid of ants outside the home

​Ant colonies come in huge numbers, so it’s bound to be a problem if you see them marching around your property. And there’s only one reason why they’re ants are building nests on your property - there are enough food and water to support a colony. They’re attracted to food residue, sugar and a source of clean water.

How to get rid of ants outside

There's really only one way to prevent ants from coming inside and that's to get rid of them outside. So what are some of the outdoor ant control measures you can try to get rid of them outside of your home and hopefully be rid of the ants for good?

Pour boiling water into the ant nest

One of the most common DIY ant control methods is boiling water. While some may think that pesticides are dangerous, ours are pet and people safe, boiling water poses more of a risk to people. It's why we don't actually recommend this method.
​There are other complications with using boiling water to control ants. You need to find the nest, it's likely that you won't flood the entire nest, especially if it's a super-colony ant species, you risk seriously burning yourself.

Mix soap and water

Another method to destroy the entire ant nest is to use soap and water. Combine 1-2 teaspoons of dishwashing liquid with 2L of warm water. Find the nest and pour the mixture slowly into it.
​While this method is safer for the person doing the treatment, it still requires you to find the nest and you run the risk of not treating the whole nest.

Make an ant repellant spray

A quick search of the internet will give you hundreds of DIY ant repellent spray recipes. Some with Borax, some without. Some with vinegar, some without. Some with essential oils, some without.
The benefits of an ant repellent spray is that it can be used around the home, especially where ants tend to come into your house. You can follow the ant trails to the nest and treat the nest too.
A word of caution: While it might seem like a handy idea to make your own ant repellent, some of the natural ingredients are actually toxic. For example borax, citrus essential oils, and peppermint/eucalyptus/tea tree essential oils are all toxic to pets.

Use ant baits to get rid of ants outside

​Ant baits are particularly useful against outdoor nesting ants. The traps contain granules to attract the ants, protein and sugar for both feeding preferences, and a toxic ant bait that they ingest and take back to the nest to kill the remaining colony.

It's important to place outdoor ant baits where the ant trails are so that you know that the bait is being taken. Don't be surprised if you see more ants around the bait, this is normal with the granules to attract ants to the bait.

We recommend placing ant bait stations at regular 4-5 metre intervals around your home. This way you will make sure that you've cut off all lines into your home and will be baiting the ants' nests you can not see.

Use pesticide sprays to get rid of ants

This is probably the most common way our clients DIY their ant treatment, with a can of bug spray bought from the supermarket. While this is the most common way, there are stronger sprays available to the DIYer.
​Using a store-bought spray can be effective, however, they are not as strong as the sprays available to licensed pest controllers.

Prevent recurring infestations

Ants will crawl to the safest place and will make a nest there. To completely get rid of ants, you need to kill the entire ant colony. Be warned, it's not just termites that live in super ant colonies, there are other ant species that do the same; for example, white footed ants are a super ant colony species.
To prevent recurring infestations and to get rid of ants outside, your best alternative is to tidy up, remove their food and water (that includes cleaning barbecues, securing compost heaps, and clearing pet bowls), and call Michael or book online for a professional ant control treatment.