Benefits of Ants in Your Sod
You get some benefits to having ants in your sod. Ants don't harm your sod directly. They don't eat grass or overly disturb grass roots. In fact, ants have some notable benefits:
- Ants tend to eat other insects that could damage grass.
- Ants aerate your sod, which could lead to it growing faster.
That means that when you get new sod, you might want to encourage some ants to live in your yard. They will aerate your soil and make it easier for your grass to grow. It's when ants start to overrun your sod that it becomes a more significant problem.
Ant Problems
Ants are successful creatures. If your lawn provides a good environment for ants, they will spread quickly. This leads to ugly anthills all over your yard, which can in turn make your grass look patchy and rough.
Ants can also be harmful depending on the type of ant they are. Fire ants, for instance, are always bad news. Fire ants are aggressive and they bite. Some species of ants are harmful because they farm other pests, such as aphids, which means they may introduce these pests into your property.
Finally, ants may be difficult to deal with if they start intruding into your house. If your lawn is so infested with ants that they've started crossing into your home, you may need to take immediate steps to solve the problem so your home isn't damaged.
Ant Reduction
You can do some things to manage the ant population on your own. Diatomaceous earth can be spread around to kill the ants. This substance acts as a poison that isn't harmful to people or animals. You can also look for poisons that are specifically designed for ants, but be aware that these poisons can be toxic to other animals.
Because ants are so plentiful and prolific, you may have to get a professional treatment. Either way, you may find that the sod has become damaged and unattractive over time.
Sod Damage Repair
Ants can cause three major issues for your sod:
- Patches below the anthills. If anthills are allowed to remain on the sod, the grass beneath can die. It can be difficult to fill all these patches when they are large or multiple patches cover a large part of the lawn.
- Dead grass. If the ants create too large of a network underneath the grass, they could dampen the grass's ability to moderate its own water intake.
- Sunken areas. A large ant colony can lead to some underground damage, which will eventually lead to the sod sinking in. These areas will need to be filled in for you to have a beautiful lawn again.
These issues can all be treated with new sod. If the issue has become significant enough, new sod is the best choice, but wait until after the ant situation has been completely resolved.
Managing an ant problem can be frustrating, as they can proliferate quickly. The first thing you should do is consult with a lawn care expert, to find out the easiest and most manageable way to deal with the problem. Installing new sod over the old sod will make your yard look like new again, as long as you can manage your ant problem.
For more information about the benefits of new sod and caring for it correctly, contact the new sod experts
Turf Master Sod Farm.
