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Q&A – I tilled a new garden. The next day there were lots of ant hills. How can I kill them?

Question:
I just opened an area in my backyard for a vegetable garden. The day after I finished roto tilling, the area was filled with ant hills, big and small. How can I kill many ant hills over a large area?

Answer: 
These ants did not move in, they were already there. You just couldn’t see them because of the grass or weeds growing there before you tilled. Ants are considered beneficial in the garden, you don’t need to kill them. If they are fire ants that is a different story, they need to go. Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison says he is not aware of any insecticide that targets only ants.

Related Videos:
Fire Ant Control
How can I get rid of the ants in my flower bed?

Related Resources:
Ants
Ants in Vegetable Garden
Controlling Fire Ants in the Vegetable Garden
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  • Home
  • Watch
    • TV Schedule
    • Full Episodes Online
    • How-to and Informational
    • Questions and Answers
    • This Week in the Garden
    • Garden Notes
  • Garden Topic Collections
    • Apple Trees: How-to and Information
    • Peach Trees: How-to and Information
    • Tomatoes: How-to and Information
    • Square Foot Garden Blog
  • Resources
    • Soil Testing
    • Extension Publications
    • Gardening Resources
    • Blogs
    • Organic Gardening
    • Articles
    • Privacy
  • Guests
  • Contact Us
    • Ask a Gardening Gardening Question
  • Search