Seeing ants crawling through your lawn or small piles of soil appearing between the grass plants can be frustrating. Homeowners often wonder whether the ants are damaging their grass and what they should do about them.
The interesting thing about ants is that, in most cases, the ants themselves are not actually eating or directly damaging the grass. Because of this, ants are often considered more of a nuisance in lawns than a true turfgrass pest.
That does not mean they cannot cause problems.
How Do You Know If You Have Ants in Your Lawn?
The most obvious sign is seeing ants moving across the surface of the lawn. You may also notice small openings in the soil surrounded by loose dirt or small mounds.
Different species create different types of nests. Some ants create small soil mounds, particularly where turf is thin or bare. Other ants can create much larger mounds and may establish themselves even in otherwise healthy lawns.
Ant activity is most noticeable during the warmer months when colonies are actively foraging and expanding.
Do Ants Damage Grass?
For most ant species found in Minnesota and Wisconsin lawns, the answer is usually no. Ants generally do not feed on grass plants. In fact, some ants can be beneficial because they feed on other insects and help break down organic material.
The problems usually come from their nesting activity rather than from feeding on the grass.
As ants build underground colonies, they excavate soil and bring it to the surface. This can create mounds, loosen soil around the nest and make portions of the lawn uneven. Large or numerous mounds can become noticeable when walking across the lawn and may interfere with mowing.
Ants can also simply become a nuisance. When you are playing with your kids, working in the yard or relaxing on the lawn, large numbers of ants crawling across the grass can make the area less enjoyable.
For these reasons, homeowners sometimes choose to control ants even though the ants are not directly eating their lawn.
Why Are Ants Living in My Lawn?
A lawn provides many of the things ants need to establish a colony, including soil for nesting and access to food.
Some ant species are particularly common in thin or bare areas of turf. Other species can establish colonies in healthy turf.
Ants may also feed on insects or on honeydew, the sugary substance produced by aphids and certain other insects living on nearby trees and landscape plants.
Finding ants does not necessarily mean there is something wrong with your lawn.
Common Misconception: Ants Are Eating My Grass
When homeowners see an ant mound surrounded by struggling grass, it is easy to assume the ants are eating the lawn. Usually, that is not what is happening.
Most common lawn ants do not feed on grass. The visible turf damage around a nest is more likely related to soil excavation, mound construction or an underlying condition that caused the grass to become thin before the ants arrived.
In some cases, ants may actually be taking advantage of an area where the turf was already struggling.
What Can You Do If You Have Ants in Your Lawn?
The first question is whether the ants are actually causing a problem.
Ants generally do not feed on or directly damage grass, so if you only notice a few ants or small mounds, doing nothing may be the best option.
If the mounds are becoming noticeable, you can rake or disperse the loose soil to help keep the lawn surface smooth. This will not eliminate the colony, but it can reduce the visible nuisance.
It is also worth looking at the condition of the grass around the nests. Some ant species commonly establish colonies where turf has become thin or bare. Improving those areas through proper watering, fertilization, mowing and seeding can help create a thicker lawn that is less favorable for certain ants.
If ants appear to be associated with nearby trees or landscape plants, check those plants for aphids or other insects producing honeydew, which can provide ants with a food source.
If ant populations become large enough that they interfere with using the lawn, professional treatment may be an option.
What Can bioLawn Do If You Have Ants?
When ant activity becomes excessive, bioLawn can provide lawn insect treatments designed to reduce ant activity in the lawn.
The goal is suppression rather than assuming every ant can be permanently eliminated. Ant colonies can extend underground, and new ants can eventually move into an area from neighboring lawns or landscapes.
For lawns experiencing recurring ant activity, an ongoing lawn insect treatment program can help keep populations and nuisance activity lower.
What Can You Do to Help Prevent Ant Problems?
There is no cultural practice that will completely prevent ants from entering a lawn.
One of the best things homeowners can do is maintain a thick, healthy stand of grass. Proper mowing, watering, fertilization and seeding thin areas all help maintain turf density.
It can also be helpful to watch for developing mounds. A small number of localized colonies may be easier to address before ant activity becomes widespread.
What Can bioLawn Do to Help Prevent Ant Problems?
For properties that regularly experience significant ant activity, bioLawn can include lawn insect treatments as part of the lawn care program.
These treatments can help suppress ant populations before they become a major nuisance.
It is important to remember that no treatment permanently prevents ants from entering a property. The goal is to manage populations and reduce the amount of activity homeowners experience in the lawn.
The Bottom Line
Ants are a little different from many other lawn insects.
They typically are not eating or directly damaging the grass, which is why they are not always considered a true turfgrass pest. However, their tunnels, soil mounds and large populations can still become a nuisance.
If there are only a few ants, they can often be left alone. If mounds or ant activity begin interfering with the lawn, treatment may make sense.
Maintaining healthy, dense turf and addressing significant colonies when they appear are the best ways to reduce recurring ant problems.