Ant hills throughout lawn - Ask Extension
How do I safely get rid of ant hills throughout my lawn? They are killing my grass. We have a dog so we need a safe solution. Thank you in advance ...
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Ant hills throughout lawn #461196
Asked June 10, 2018, 4:16 PM EDT
How do I safely get rid of ant hills throughout my lawn? They are killing my grass. We have a dog so we need a safe solution. Thank you in advance for your assistance.
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
Ants like these do not kill your lawn, in fact, they are helping it. Their little tunnels aerate the soil, which allows water (rain!) to penetrate and also oxygen--necessary for roots and plant life.
When the soil is very wet, ants tend to move upwards in the soil so they don't drown. But these little ant hills may be there all the time. In a thick lawn, they would not be noticeable. You're only seeing them because your lawn is so thin. The solution is to thicken the lawn by overseeding or sodding.
It's difficult to have lawn at all with a lot of dog activity. We get questions about this problem a lot. Grass can only withstand so much pet traffic. Paving, mulch, fencing to let part of the lawn recover for a while, are all tactics that homeowners use.
Here's help with managing your lawn optimally: http://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/_docs/programs/hgic/HGIC_Pubs/lawn_pubs/HG102...
ECN
When the soil is very wet, ants tend to move upwards in the soil so they don't drown. But these little ant hills may be there all the time. In a thick lawn, they would not be noticeable. You're only seeing them because your lawn is so thin. The solution is to thicken the lawn by overseeding or sodding.
It's difficult to have lawn at all with a lot of dog activity. We get questions about this problem a lot. Grass can only withstand so much pet traffic. Paving, mulch, fencing to let part of the lawn recover for a while, are all tactics that homeowners use.
Here's help with managing your lawn optimally: http://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/_docs/programs/hgic/HGIC_Pubs/lawn_pubs/HG102...
ECN
