Don't Have The Killer Instinct? The Easy Hack To Convince Ants To Relocate

Spring is the time of year when ants become active again after a long, cold winter. You may even come across an anthill in your yard when doing the first mow of the season. And while an ant colony might seem harmless, it can spread and start becoming a nuisance rather quickly. While there are a lot of effective ways to get rid of ants, many of them can involve using harsh chemicals. For some, this is out of the question — especially if you have a vegetable garden, pets, or kids. You might also be someone who simply doesn't like the idea of killing living things. Thankfully, there are quite a few natural ways to get rid of ants. One extremely effective method to get rid of ants without harming them is to just disturb their nest.

You're probably thinking: Isn't it a dangerous idea to go around wrecking their home? Most ants are pretty harmless, the only ones that might cause you any problems are fire ants, harvester ants, and carpenter ants, which have been known to bite or sting. If you suspect you might be dealing with one of these species, you may want to call a professional. Generally speaking, though, most black or brown ants aren't aggressive towards humans.

Once you've decided that you want to take action against your invaders, you have to be consistent. The key to convincing ants to relocate using the disruption method is repetition. To achieve this, you just need some common household items.

There are two ways you can effectively convince ants to relocate using the disruption method without killing them: flatten their hill or sweat them out. You can easily eliminate the anthill with garden tools, like a rake or a shovel, by simply flattening the mound. You might have to do this a couple of times over a period of days or weeks to be sure the ants are convinced that it's not a good idea to stick around. Just keep flattening the nest until you notice there are no more ants around.

Another way to implement the disturbance method is to allow nature to fight nature. Get your hands on a large black garbage bag and some bricks or rocks to weigh it down. Cut your bag big enough to cover the whole area of the anthill, flatten the hill (if necessary), lay the bag over the area, and place the bricks or rocks around the border to keep it tight to the ground. Over a period of days, the sun will heat the plastic, making it really uncomfortable for the ants, prompting them to move elsewhere. After three full days, lift the bag to see if there is any activity. If you still see ants, leave the bag until they've relocated. With any luck, they'll find a better location for their home.