Home Remedy for Getting Rid of Ant Hills

Stopping the ants you see scurrying around the garden landscape isn't enough. They'll just keep coming. Tackle the problem once and for all by going to the source of the situation: the ant hill itself. Instead of using toxic commercial pesticides, first try using non-toxic or low-toxic home remedies that will eliminate the ant hill.

The following ant hill-removing strategies are urban legends and are not efficient ways to get rid of ants:

Pouring club soda on the hill

Feeding the ants corn grits

Feeding the ants dry rice

Pouring gasoline on the ant hill

If you have a fire ant problem, avoid disturbing the hill. These aggressive, fast-moving red ants have a painful sting. Consult your local county extension office for help.

Some people can be allergic to fire ant stings. If extreme itching, swelling of the area or tongue occurs, seek medical attention immediately.

Some ants prefer sweet, sugary bait. Other ants prefer fats and proteins. Test what type of ants you're facing by dabbing peanut butter onto a postcard and honey onto another postcard. Place the two postcards on opposite sides of the ant hill. After a day, observe which postcard has attracted the most ants. Once you know what kind of bait the ants prefer, make a homemade bait station.

Peanut butter or honey

Boric acid

Measuring spoon

Bowl

Mixing tool, such as a spoon or a whisk

Sealable plastic container

Screwdriver, nail or other implement to create holes

Make the bait. In a bowl, pour 4 tablespoons of peanut butter or 6 tablespoons of honey, depending on which type of bait attracted the most ants in your postcard test. Add 3/4 teaspoon of boric acid. This natural powder is relatively low in toxicity to humans, pets and wildlife, but it kills ants effectively.

Smear the boric acid-enhanced bait inside a sealable plastic container, such as an empty, cleaned-out yogurt container. Close the container. Poke holes in the lid of the container with a screwdriver, a nail or a similar sharp implement.

Place the bait station near the ant hill. The ants will crawl through the holes in the container, feed on the bait and take the bait back to their nest where the boric acid will kill all the ants. Meanwhile, the plastic container will keep pets and wildlife from accessing the bait and also protects the bait from rain.

Replenish the bait station if the ants take all the bait but you still notice activity in and around the ant hill.

Avoid eating or inhaling boric acid. If you accidentally ingest boric acid and need medical attention, dial 9-1-1 or call the Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.

Scald and drown ants with 3 gallons of boiling water, which doesn't just kill the ants on contact but also drenches and collapses the entire ant hill, drowning any ants that may have escaped the initial wave of hot water.

This method is approximately 60 percent effective on the first try. If the ants survive, they will either relocate their nest -- eliminating your problem without you needing to kill all the ants -- or begin rebuilding their nest in the same spot. If necessary, repeat the boiling water application.

Boiling water will also kill nearby plants and grass. Handle the container carefully and pour the boiling water slowly over the ant hill to avoid getting burned.

Limonene is the active ingredient in orange and citrus fruit peels that kills ants and other insects upon contact while being low in toxicity to humans, pets and wildlife. Harness the power of citrus oil to eliminate an ant hill.

Blender or food processor, ideally with a 1-gallon-sized mixing jar/jug

Orange peels

100 percent orange juice, not from concentrate

Fill a 1-gallon blender two-thirds full of orange peels.

Blend on medium until the peels are a fine mush. Aim for 1/2 gallon of orange peel mush. If necessary, add more orange peels and blend again until you have 1/2 gallon of puree.

Add 1/2 gallon of orange juice to create a liquid consistency.

Pour the citrus solution directly onto the top of an ant hill. The citrus oils kill the ants on contact.

Bucketing the ant hill allows you to remove and relocate the hill without killing all of the ants. Using a large bucket and a garden spade, dig out the ant hill. Dig 12 inches deep and in a 12-inch radius around the center of the ant hill to fully remove the nest. Toss the removed soil into a bucket. If necessary, use multiple buckets.

Once the ant hill has been dug out, take the removed soil to another location, such as the outskirts of your property, and dump the soil out of the bucket. The ants will gather themselves together and rebuild their nest near where you dump them.