Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
How to Kill Ants in Sidewalk Cracks
How to Kill Ants in Sidewalk Cracks. If you have a patio or sidewalk around your home, you have probably noticed small ants emerging from the cracks in the surface. These sidewalk ants, or pavement ants, build their nests beneath rocks, bricks or sidewalks, and small piles of excavated earth surround the entrances to their home. Though the ants are...
If you have a patio or sidewalk around your home, you have probably noticed small ants emerging from the cracks in the surface. These sidewalk ants, or pavement ants, build their nests beneath rocks, bricks or sidewalks, and small piles of excavated earth surround the entrances to their home. Though the ants are not extremely harmful, they may make their way inside your home through cracks in foundation walls and other openings in search of food.
Things You'll Need
Ant bait traps
Insecticide (containing cypermethrin)
Locate the entrances to the ant nest. Look for ant activity around small, craterlike dirt piles. The little dirt piles are soil the ants have removed from beneath the sidewalk to make their tunnels. The ants are likely using several entrances.
Place a protein-based ant bait trap within 12 to 24 inches of the nest entrances. Bait traps are available at any home improvement store, as well as most grocery stores. Most outdoor bait traps have stakes built into the bottom so you can drive them into the ground so that they stay in place. The ants carry the poisoned bait down into their nest, where members of the colony eat it and die. Bait traps are useful if you have children and pets, as they are a safer alternative to spraying pesticides. Allow one week for the bait traps to do their job before trying another method.
Observe the area for ant activity for one week. If you still notice large amounts of ant activity after the bait traps have been out for a week, it's time to try another method to kill the ants.
Spray the areas around the nest entrances with an insecticide containing cypermethrin. Cypermethrin is used as a crack and crevice treatment for ants and other insects. Cypermethrin is available in both liquid and powder. Apply the liquid or powder to all nest entrances and to all cracks and edges of the sidewalk. Keep children and animals away from the area for at least 12 hours.
