How to Select the 5 Best Outdoor Ant Killers

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Ants can turn out to be a nuisance for many people. Usually, outside ants enter the home only for a source of food or water. Ants are tiny social creatures who live in colonies.

If you wish to eliminate ants, then you should eliminate the entire colony. Keep reading this article to find out about the most effective and best outdoor ant killers products.

What Is the Need for An Ant Killer?

Ants are very persistent. Once your home is infested by ants then it becomes difficult to control them. Outdoor ants come into your home either to look for food & water or because of the change in weather.

Outside ants enter the household area through small openings and leave trails behind so that their colony can follow. Ants are tiny creatures, but their invasion can cause a lot of havoc on your homes.​

Ants can contaminate food and water, which can result in the spreading of diseases. Ant bites and stings can cause allergic reactions in humans as well as pets.

Ant colonies are difficult to dislodge but not impossible. With proper vigilance and the right product, ant colonies can be killed in a week or two. Outdoor ant colonies should always be kept under control so that they do not move inside.

A Short Brief on The Types Of Ants

Carpenter Ants

These ants prefer staying outdoors and they get their name from their nest building technique. They do not eat wood, instead they build small tunnels inside the wood. Carpenter ants love water, hence you will find them around moisture stricken areas.

This colony of ants can be recognized from their large size. If you have a carpenter ant infestation in your home, then it is important to act quickly as they are known for destruction which can’t be taken care of by ant killers.

Fire Ants

These ants are red tiny pests who favor sunny conditions. Fire ants can be a cause of allergic reactions to house owners and their pets. Infestation from this colony of ants can turn out to be a nightmare.

They build their nests deep below the ground without a central entrance. Just like carpenter ants, these ants also need to be killed as soon as you spot them.

How to Choose the Right Outside Ant Killer Product?

Just like other animals, ants are also an important part of the ecosystem. Unfortunately, ant infestations in your yard and home can turn out to be a big issue. Choosing the right ant killer can make a huge difference in the protection of your surroundings.

The best outdoor ant killers use a bait, containing a slow-acting insecticide. Let’s look at some of the types of outdoor ant killer products.

Liquid Baits – Liquids & Gels

Liquid baits use sweet solutions as their baits. Gel baits are given with syringes and are used for hard to reach traps.

Solid Baits – Dust & Grains

Solid baits consist of protein types of baits that are spread out over a lawn. These are used to dry out the exoskeletons of outside ants found in the yard or lawn. For eg., Diatomaceous earth soil.

Sprays

Aerosols and liquid sprays act as a deterrent for outside ants. You should opt for this product depending on the ants present in your lawn.

The product that you are choosing to kill the ants should be weatherproof. If you are staying in a rain prone zone, then you should go for waterproof products which must not get washed away by rain.

If you are looking for a cost-effective solution to wipe out the ants from your yard, then look for a product that combines protein baits with and sweet baits together. If you notice that the ants are coming inside your house through the tiny crevices in your walls then avoid buying granules.

For a short-term solution, you can choose ant sprays. If you notice ants lingering in your yard, even after continuous usage of the sprays then you should opt for baits.

Also, you should make sure that the product should be child and pet-friendly. 

The Negative Effect of Ant Killers on Environment

Ant killing products are used to destroy, repel or kill ants. These products are used to ensure safety and protection from ants, but they can prove to be quite fatal for the environment and human health.

The pesticides used to kill ants might destroy the quality of soil in your lawn. Pesticides remove a huge amount of organic matter from the soil and make it less fertile.

When you spray an ant killing product in your lawn, the product is sucked into groundwater. This will, later on, pass into the nearest water body. The product sprayed in your yard might also get drifted through winds and pollute the air.

The acute effects of pesticides on the health of humans can cause stinging eyes, rashes, blisters, blindness, nausea, dizziness & diarrhea, and the chronic effects can be cancer, birth defects, and neurological toxicity.

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Top 5 Best Outdoor Ant Killers

After my thorough research on the net, I found these 5 products to be quite useful for killing ants.

1. TERRO T300B 2-Pack Liquid Ant Baits

Pros

• Formulated with Borax and other ingredients.
• They are pre-filled with baits and are quite easy to use.
• The manufacturer claims that this product can be used to kill common household ants within two weeks.
• These traps are weatherproof.
• Available in different variety packs.

Cons

• Liquid baits can turn out to be messy.
• Not a child and pet-friendly.

2. Ortho Orthene Fire Ant Killer1

Pros

• Easy to use and highly effective against fire ants including the queen.
• A single product can treat up to 162 mounds.
• The product is guaranteed to kill the colony of ants or your money will be returned to you.
• This product contains 50% acephate.

Cons

• This product is not kids and pets friendly.
• The product might not work if the mound is disturbed.

3. Ortho Home Defense Insect Killer Granules 3, 2.5 lbs

Pros

• It comes in solid granules form.
• One application of this product can control pests for up to 3 months.
• Effective against all kinds of insects not only just ants.
• The main active ingredient in this product is bifenthrin 0.115%, which works by targeting the central nervous system of insects.
• You can start using the area or yard once the product is watered in.

Cons

• It can’t be used in gardens with vegetables.
• Not to be used around fire ants.

4. ​​AMDRO Ant Block Home Perimeter Ant Bait Granules – Outdoor Ant Killer – 12 oz

Pros

• Available in solid granules form.
• A single bottle can cover 1080 linear feet of area and can treat an average home at least 5 times.
• The advantage of using the solid granules is that they kill the entire colony.
• Can kill colonies of fire ants, carpenter ants and 23 other species of ants.
• Available in 3 different packagings – 12 ounces, 24 ounces, and 32 ounces.

Cons

• The granules act very slowly and it can take up to 2 weeks to kill the ant colonies.

5. ​​Bayer Advanced Complete Ant Killer Plus Science-Based Solutions Kills Fleas, Ticks, Spiders & Cockroaches, 1.5-Pound, Granules

Pros

• It can be used for killing ants as well as other pests like fleas, ticks, spiders, cockroaches.
• 1.5 lb of product can treat up to 1,500 square feet of area.
• It comes with an easy to use shaker top applicator.
• 2-way action formula treats insects below the soil up to 3 months.

Cons

• Works slowly on the ants, so it takes time to completely wipe out the ant colonies.

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Conclusion

After a thorough research on outdoor ant killer products, I feel the best product out of the five reviews is the Ortho Home Defense Insect Killer Granules 3, 2.5 lbs.

If you have a large infestation in your lawn, then this can prove to be the best ant killer product for you. The main active ingredient of this product is Bifenthrin 0.115%.

This product is a powerful and effective ant killer that can protect the entire area in your home from different varieties of household insects. The bottle comes with an ergonomically designed spray wand. This allows the product to easily spread around the preferred area without putting in any extra efforts.​

One major advantage is that it doesn’t leave any stains and foul smell. The granules can be used around windows, doors, and cabinets to create a perimeter around your house.

This is a water-resistant formula that can be used outdoors as well as indoors. Once the product is watered in and allowed to dry, then pets and people can start using the lawn.

One drawback which was noticed by customers was that the outdoor application might not last as long as the indoor application. Hence, you will have to reapply the product again and again.