Ants can be found in all lawns across the UK and in most cases they do little direct damage, however when there is an infestation of ants this is when a problem starts to occur. Ants should be tolerated in gardens wherever possible, however when there is a large presence the ant hills left behind become a burden.

Ants make the lawn become uneven, patchy and can cause scalping when the grass is cut. This can result in the soil being smeared, this is made worse when the lawn is cut when wet as these patches become havens for weeds and moss.

Lawns on sandy or chalky soils tend to suffer a more from ants than heavier clay-based soils. Ants tend to be most active between April and October as they are actively searching for food during this period.

Unless nests become a particular nuisance they are best left alone as even if you were to destroy a colony it is likely that it’s place will be taken over by further queen ants which could build more nests as a result.

Ants prefer dry conditions over wet condition so a good option would be to make sure your lawn is regularly watered and doesn’t dry out too much. This will encourage the ants to move on to somewhere drier.