How to destroy an anthill?

[gCrusher]

A recommendation (unsure if it's been said already):

Lure them with a small plate of sugar cubes. Should be a pretty thick carpet of them in a short amount of time as they get reinforcements. Once the line/carpet of ants is to your satisfaction, pour some Terro or any Borax-based chem across them. The infected will be sure to carry it on themselves all the way back into the nest.

It's nasty, but effective, and delivery in this method should avoid exposing pets or other wildlife to too much of the stuff.

 

[T8B95]

You sure that's an ant hill...? It's in a line and 3 ft across? Or is it just a large line of mounds with ants over them?

I'm just saying... Moles and voles (as well as other burrowing mammals) will make very similar holes and mounds. They'll dig the fuck out of your yard. If you're using Raid and other products without success, you sure it's the ants and not some random mammal screwing your day?

There are also, depending on where you live, Cicada Killers - which are a monster-sized wasp that makes burrows. They leave during the day and by the time they come back the spray or whatever may have already sunken deep into the ground, or they could have found some alternative entrance.

I actually thought it was voles at first. My housemate (who is the one that found this monster) told me it was ants, and sure enough, there are billions of ants on it. Also, our dog usually kills and eats the voles in our lawn.

Trust me, if it was wasps, I would have nuked the lawn. I hate wasps.

Yes, I'm sure that it's an anthill. It isn't a line, it's just 3 feet across and about a foot wide. AN there are billions of ants swarming all over it. I'm not joking, when this thing dies, it will make headlines in the ant world. It will be like aliens coming down and obliterating New York, London, and Shanghai all at once.

[HEADING=3]I WILL BE THE NEW ANTI-CHRIST OF THE WORLDWIDE ANT RELIGION![/HEADING]

 

[The Artificially Prolonged]

A 3 foot wide ant hill on your territory is aggressive expansion by these ants and should consider an act of war. I move for forming a close alliance with the other insects in your garden in order raise an army to repel the ant forces. I would suggest a combination of termites for infantry and wasps to provide air support. It will be long and tough campaign but the act menace will be purge.

Or more seriously;
I like the aardvark idea

Or being properly serious;
Find out what type of ants they are and buy poison known to be very effective against that species. Most importantly the queen and eggs must be destoryed the colony will just die out without them.

 

[Canid117]

Assuming you are afraid of blowing up a gas main then maybe you could buy something from the hardware store to poison the little bastards.

 

[Singularly Datarific]

What about a poison irrigation system? Get a pipe with holes poked in the side, stab it down the center axis of the anthill, and pump some poison through it.

 

[Dectomax]

Well, one way: Get several fireworks, like the air bomb and place a ring around the outside of the ant's nest, make sure they're dug pretty deep and then trail a single fuse, preferably behind somekind of makeshift barricade and light. After the defining racket, rush forwards and unleash the power of deodorant can + lighter.

Repeat this tactic until you hit the queens layer.

(Note, worried phone calls to the police by neighbors are not my responsibility)

 

[Nickolai77]

If playing Mercenaries taught me anything, there is no problem that can not be solved with a nuclear bunker buster.

 

[astrav1]

I need help guys.

There is a massive anthill in my backyard, and I need to destroy it. It's about three feet across. I need new suggestions.

We've already tried hot water, soapy hot water, cold water, vinegar, Javex, and Raid. None of them worked. I really don't want to dig up a massive hole in my backyard, but I'm getting desperate. They. Must. Die.

Did you try asking nicely?

 

[Baron von Blitztank]

Burn them all! If there are enough ants you could roast some marshmellows on the fires, or even have a full Barbeque!

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

I need help guys.

There is a massive anthill in my backyard, and I need to destroy it. It's about three feet across. I need new suggestions.

We've already tried hot water, soapy hot water, cold water, vinegar, Javex, and Raid. None of them worked. I really don't want to dig up a massive hole in my backyard, but I'm getting desperate. They. Must. Die.

For the love of god, do not use fire, bleach, or any other chemical not specifically designed for the job. And for the love of your wallet, don't call an exterminator for something like this. What you need is a granulated bait, like Amdro. You buy it at the hardware store (or Wal-mart, for that matter) take it home, sprinkle some around the entrance of the colony, and wait a few days. The ants take the bait as food, carrying it to every individual, including the queen. The nest should die out pretty quickly. I've lived in Florida all my life, and every summer I have to kill several fireant nests. It's not particularly difficult, if you just buy the right product.

Step 1: Determine the species of ant.

Step 2: Go to your local Home Depot/Lowes/hardware store.

Step 3: Locate something that looks like this, but corresponds to the particular species of ant you're trying to kill.


...remember to do some shopping around, the "retired Wehrmacht" scientists they have working at insecticide factories really know their shit, and probably have a bug killer that's specific to your situation.

Step 4: Purchase and take home.

Step 5: Use as directed.

Step 6: Keep petrol out of the groundwater, thanks.

This guy knows what he's talking about.

 

[T8B95]

I need help guys.

There is a massive anthill in my backyard, and I need to destroy it. It's about three feet across. I need new suggestions.

We've already tried hot water, soapy hot water, cold water, vinegar, Javex, and Raid. None of them worked. I really don't want to dig up a massive hole in my backyard, but I'm getting desperate. They. Must. Die.

For the love of god, do not use fire, bleach, or any other chemical not specifically designed for the job. And for the love of your wallet, don't call an exterminator for something like this. What you need is a granulated bait, like Amdro. You buy it at the hardware store (or Wal-mart, for that matter) take it home, sprinkle some around the entrance of the colony, and wait a few days. The ants take the bait as food, carrying it to every individual, including the queen. The nest should die out pretty quickly. I've lived in Florida all my life, and every summer I have to kill several fireant nests. It's not particularly difficult, if you just buy the right product.

Step 1: Determine the species of ant.

Step 2: Go to your local Home Depot/Lowes/hardware store.

Step 3: Locate something that looks like this, but corresponds to the particular species of ant you're trying to kill.


...remember to do some shopping around, the "retired Wehrmacht" scientists they have working at insecticide factories really know their shit, and probably have a bug killer that's specific to your situation.

Step 4: Purchase and take home.

Step 5: Use as directed.

Step 6: Keep petrol out of the groundwater, thanks.

This guy knows what he's talking about.

I've already tried Raid and it didn't do jackshit. That was the one that made me come to this site in desperation.

I haven't tried any other industrial poison, so I'll give that a go, but right now fire is looking like the best option. The damn nest is just too big for poison to be effective, I think.

I need help guys.

There is a massive anthill in my backyard, and I need to destroy it. It's about three feet across. I need new suggestions.

We've already tried hot water, soapy hot water, cold water, vinegar, Javex, and Raid. None of them worked. I really don't want to dig up a massive hole in my backyard, but I'm getting desperate. They. Must. Die.

Did you try asking nicely?

I'm going to say that pouring cold water over them was the nicest thing I did.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

I need help guys.

There is a massive anthill in my backyard, and I need to destroy it. It's about three feet across. I need new suggestions.

We've already tried hot water, soapy hot water, cold water, vinegar, Javex, and Raid. None of them worked. I really don't want to dig up a massive hole in my backyard, but I'm getting desperate. They. Must. Die.

For the love of god, do not use fire, bleach, or any other chemical not specifically designed for the job. And for the love of your wallet, don't call an exterminator for something like this. What you need is a granulated bait, like Amdro. You buy it at the hardware store (or Wal-mart, for that matter) take it home, sprinkle some around the entrance of the colony, and wait a few days. The ants take the bait as food, carrying it to every individual, including the queen. The nest should die out pretty quickly. I've lived in Florida all my life, and every summer I have to kill several fireant nests. It's not particularly difficult, if you just buy the right product.

Step 1: Determine the species of ant.

Step 2: Go to your local Home Depot/Lowes/hardware store.

Step 3: Locate something that looks like this, but corresponds to the particular species of ant you're trying to kill.


...remember to do some shopping around, the "retired Wehrmacht" scientists they have working at insecticide factories really know their shit, and probably have a bug killer that's specific to your situation.

Step 4: Purchase and take home.

Step 5: Use as directed.

Step 6: Keep petrol out of the groundwater, thanks.

This guy knows what he's talking about.

I've already tried Raid and it didn't do jackshit. That was the one that made me come to this site in desperation.

I haven't tried any other industrial poison, so I'll give that a go, but right now fire is looking like the best option. The damn nest is just too big for poison to be effective, I think.

I need help guys.

There is a massive anthill in my backyard, and I need to destroy it. It's about three feet across. I need new suggestions.

We've already tried hot water, soapy hot water, cold water, vinegar, Javex, and Raid. None of them worked. I really don't want to dig up a massive hole in my backyard, but I'm getting desperate. They. Must. Die.

Did you try asking nicely?

I'm going to say that pouring cold water over them was the nicest thing I did.

That's because Raid is a contact poison, not a granulated bait. As I said, you want a bait, like Amdro. There's nothing industrial about it, it's generally sold in the lawncare section of any store that carries lawn and garden supplies.

 

[kingtiger326]

If you're up for some manual labour, I have found that shoveling the anthill into buckets, and then flooding the buckets is usually a good method.

Good luck!

 

[acer840]

A Bunker Buster Bomb should take care of them. If failing that, a Cruise Missile Strike. If they are still really entrenched in your backyard then Tac nuke.

Or Ant Poison if your the more subtle type.

 

[Jabberwock King]

Fire. And please record it and post it up here. I've always wanted to do it myself but I don't have a lawn anymore.

That entire statement combined with your avatar just creeps me out for some reason. I've seen you or someone with the same picture as you frequently, so I really have to ask, What The Fuck Is That Thing? It seems like something I'd see in modern western animation like Billy and Mandy, but with the weird going up to 11.

As for the OP, I have never had a problem as extensive as yours, but I have dealt with pesky little ants that loved to swarm over my cats food. For awhile we killed them with Terro liquid bait traps, but this year the ants practically ignored it, likely because the cat food was driving them mad. We put the food bowl into a dish with a small bit of water that the ants can't cross, so my problems are done for now.

I just remembered something. Do you have something that can adequately block out sunlight over a large area and reduce it's temperature? I read that one species of ants in Great Britain nearly died out, along with a butterfly species that was dependent upon them, because tall grass blocked out enough sunlight to freeze the ants to death. I think that my own experiences can confirm it too. My backyard used to have a visibly large amount of ant hills in one area from a relatively medium sized ant species' colony, and then my family bought this pseudo-hammock that we assembled and placed onto the lawn over the colony. It is now a lot less active.

 

[Phlakes]

Fire. And please record it and post it up here. I've always wanted to do it myself but I don't have a lawn anymore.

That entire statement combined with your avatar just creeps me out for some reason. I've seen you or someone with the same picture as you frequently, so I really have to ask, What The Fuck Is That Thing? It seems like something I'd see in modern western animation like Billy and Mandy, but with the weird going up to 11.

It's this. [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/bunchie] But this one is a hand-made TF2 Medic version. I also made the Spy, Scout, and Soldier because I have no life.

OT to avoid possible warnings: Did you set it on fire yet?

 

[Jabberwock King]

You sure that's an ant hill...? It's in a line and 3 ft across? Or is it just a large line of mounds with ants over them?

I'm just saying... Moles and voles (as well as other burrowing mammals) will make very similar holes and mounds. They'll dig the fuck out of your yard. If you're using Raid and other products without success, you sure it's the ants and not some random mammal screwing your day?

There are also, depending on where you live, Cicada Killers - which are a monster-sized wasp that makes burrows. They leave during the day and by the time they come back the spray or whatever may have already sunken deep into the ground, or they could have found some alternative entrance.

I actually thought it was voles at first. My housemate (who is the one that found this monster) told me it was ants, and sure enough, there are billions of ants on it. Also, our dog usually kills and eats the voles in our lawn.

Trust me, if it was wasps, I would have nuked the lawn. I hate wasps.

Yes, I'm sure that it's an anthill. It isn't a line, it's just 3 feet across and about a foot wide. AN there are billions of ants swarming all over it. I'm not joking, when this thing dies, it will make headlines in the ant world. It will be like aliens coming down and obliterating New York, London, and Shanghai all at once.

[HEADING=3]I WILL BE THE NEW ANTI-CHRIST OF THE WORLDWIDE ANT RELIGION![/HEADING]

Cicada killer wasps are some of the most docile black and yellow things I have ever seen so you don't have to worry about them. In fact, I kinda look forward to when they come out, because they always came to "greet" me whenever I came home from school. I'm sure that they were probably evaluating whether I was a threat to their homes that they never asked me about building in my front yard, but they always kept a good 2-3 ft. away when they did this, so it never really bothered me.