Purdue University
Agricultural Experiment Station
Entomology Department
Mimeo E-22
April, 1949
Rev. August 1956 (3M)
HOW TO CONTROL ANTS
IN HOUSES AND LAWNS
There are several common species of ants, any one of which may become troublesome in or about the home. Ants build their nests in lawns, gardens, beneath walks and porches, or near foundation walls. One species, the carpenter ant, constructs its nest in hollow trees and sometimes in the timbers of buildings. The species of ants which invade buildings usually have their nests in the soil or near foundation walls.
Ants are not Termites
All ant colonies produce a winged form sometime during the year which may be mistaken for termites. It is easy to tell the difference. Ants have a narrow "waist" not unlike that of a wasp. Termites, on the other hand, have a straighter body and no waist.
There is also a difference in the wings. Ants have four wings of unequal length which are clear like those of a housefly. Termites also have four wings, but they are of equal length, twice as long as the body, and are milky colored. Ants swarm during the summer and fall, whereas termites are more apt to make their appearance in March, April or May, For information about termites, ask for Purdue Mimeo E-67.
Ant Control in Turf
Home Lawns. Apply 1/2 pint of 45 percent liquid chlordane or 1/2 pint of 15 percent liquid dieldrin to each 1000 square feet of lawn. First, mix the chemical with water. Add each 1/2 pint to about 3 gallons of water and then spray or sprinkle the mixture evenly over the required area. After the application has been completed the chemical should be washed in with additional water from the garden hose. The amounts suggested above are sufficient to control grubs and other soil insects in addition to ants. Both chlordane and dieldrin are also available in the form of wettable powders, dusts and granules. These formulations are equally satisfactory and should be used according to directions on the packages. The new granular formulations are excellent and can be applied with a fertilizer spreader. Use 3/4 pound of 10 percent dieldrin granules or 2.3 pounds of 10 percent chlordane granules per 1000 square feet.
Ant Mounds it is a simple matter to destroy mound building ants by dusting or sprinkling their mounds with any one of the dust or granular forms of chlordane or dieldrin. Among the most readily available are 10 percent chlordane dusts and 40 percent chlordane powders, either of which can be applied dry. After treatment,
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