Ants are the uninvited guest on your patio. They build up their nest in warm and well-aerated areas, unfortunately, patio stones provide a good habitat for ants. Eventually, you will start seeing a small pile of sand or dirt emerging on your patio.
Ants create tunnels underneath your patio stones compromising its foundation also allowing the growth of weeds between your stones. They also carry germs and diseases that pose health risks. Sometimes ants crawl around in sheer numbers in search of food and water which is not a pleasing sight to see.
Ants are a nuisance and knowing how to keep ants off patio furniture is crucial for you to have a pest-free porch.
Contents
- How to Keep Ants off patio Furniture
- 1. Polymeric sand
- 2. Cover the ant hill with coffee
- 3. White vinegar
- 4. Borax mixed with sugar
- 5. Strong salt solution
- 6. Pest powder
- FAQ’s: How to Keep Ants off patio Furniture
- 1. Why do I have so many ants on my patio?
- 2. Can ants damage my patio?
- 3. How do I find a pavement ant nest?
- 4. What home remedy can I use to get rid of ants?
- Author
How to Keep Ants off patio Furniture
1. Polymeric sand
Also known as joint sand. Polymeric sand comes in an array of colors and is made of fine sand combined with binding agents. The binding agent helps the sand particles to bond together especially when exposed to moisture.
This hardens the polymeric sand causing it to become impregnable and effectively eliminating spaces between your patio stone. Once there is no space, the ants will have nowhere to build their anthill colony.
Additionally, besides keeping away the ants, polymeric sand also hinders moss and weed growth. Using polymeric sand is good because is a long-lasting fix to your ant problem on your patio
2. Cover the ant hill with coffee
Using coffee is a natural and cheap way to get rid of ants. In fact, if you use coffee you should not worry about harsh chemicals posing unexpected health risks to yourself. Ants hate coffee grounds, the strong scent and caffeine will make them move far away from the grounds as possible.
Coffee grounds unlike chemical pesticides will not kill the ants but will effectively drive ants away from their hill. However, you can use boiled coffee grounds to efficiently eliminate these pests.
Additionally placing the grounds on the anthill will also act as a physical barrier preventing the normal activities of ants.
Coffee is the best natural way to deter these nuisance pests.
3. White vinegar
Aside from preparing meals, white vinegar is used as a pest control solution. There is no need to use dangerous chemicals if you have vinegar. Although they don’t kill ants, vinegar is very effective in getting rid of ants.
Just like humans, ants disdain the taste of vinegar and this will discourage them from rebuilding their anthill on your patio.
For this to work successfully dilute the vinegar with water and pour the solution onto the colony. This is purposeful to drown them.
Killing lawn mushrooms with vinegar
4. Borax mixed with sugar
Borax is commonly used as a household cleaner. It’s a white powder also known as sodium borate. Borax is deadly to pests hence it will kill ants on your patio stone.
Despite borax being fatal to ants, it has been proven that it has a low toxic level to humans. Mixing the borax with sugar attracts ants. Therefore creating a bait.
The toxin does not kill the ant immediately but it allows the ant to carry the intoxicated sugar back to the colony. This will completely wipe out the entire colony.
Place the bait near the ant’s nest and they will not stand a chance against borax
5. Strong salt solution
Salt is a common ingredient in our kitchen. It has also been used as a pest repellant or killer. Using large amounts of table salt mixed with water, pour the mixture into the ants’ den or on their path.
The highly concentrated solution will dehydrate these relentless pets, slow down them, and eventually kill them. This method is effective especially when your patio stones are heavily infested with ants.
It’s easy to sprinkle the concentrated solution on your patio plus it covers a wider area. The salt solution is a cheap and easy home remedy of how to get rid of ants on patio furniture.
Patio furniture designed for windy areas
6. Pest powder
Ant powder is a quick solution that uses pyrethroid to kill ants. Using powder is the best way to go because the powder penetrates the space between your patio stone.
While other methods work using a steady approach to getting rid of the ants, Ant powders are designed to work fast.
Target common areas prone to infestation on your patio. Just remember to wear gloves while handling the powder and to wash your hands.
Check out this ant powder:
FAQ’s: How to Keep Ants off patio Furniture
1. Why do I have so many ants on my patio?
Ants are only attracted to a place where necessities like food and water are within their reach. Also if your patio is moist, it will provide a nice habitat for ants. Keeping your patio clean will play an important role in keeping away ants.
2. Can ants damage my patio?
Yes, they create multiple tunnels underneath your patio floor. Compromising its structural integrity also allows for weeds to grow on your patio. Ants can also dig into any nice wooden structure you might have on your patio
Also read: How to eliminate maggots on patio furniture
3. How do I find a pavement ant nest?
Pavements ants are easily spotted moving in long slow trails during the night. They build their nest through cracks in slabs or other openings by displacing loose soil along the openings.
4. What home remedy can I use to get rid of ants?
Solution of vinegar, salt, and soap gets rid of ants especially when the solutions are extremely hot. Put the solution in a spray bottle and spray off ants.
What keeps spiders away from patio
These tiny relentless insects can be very annoying especially on your patio, on that account providing solutions of how to get rid of ants on patio stones will spare you the nuisance.
All the methods mentioned above are very effective, the choice is entirely up to you. Eliminating ants and keeping them away will keep your patio stones in good structural integrity.
