In order to get rid of the ants in your house and keep them from coming back, you need to eliminate those ants that are hiding out in your yard.
Destroying the nests on your property will make a big difference in how many ants you see inside your home. This is why we have put together a guide on how to find the right products to eliminate outdoor ants.
It’s important that you get rid of ants as soon as you can, since they can cause health problems like allergies and asthma. They also cause structural damage and are a general nuisance that you are better off without.
Our Top Picks
| Brand | TERRO Ant Killer Plus | Amdro Quick Kill Lawn & Landscape Insect Killer | Demise Fire Ant and Insect Killer |
| Product |  |
 |
 |
| Rating |   |
|
 |
| Our Take | Best Price | Best Overall | Editor’s Choice |
| Free Shipping | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Amazon Deals | Check | Check | Check |
Why Are Ants So Hard to Get Rid of?
It can be tricky to completely eliminate ants because there are so many of them. How do you know if you got them all? This is especially tricky if you have a large yard. That means there is a lot of ground for you to cover, and in order to eliminate all the ants and keep them from coming back into your house, you need to use an effective, deep-penetrating ant killer.
There are tons of different species of ants- over 10,000 to be more precise – and you won’t be able to get rid of all of them the same way. That’s another reason why it is so hard to eliminate these pests sometimes. The same methods don’t work on every ant species.
Ants often build their nests in hard-to-reach places, so trying to get rid of them may prove tougher than other types of pests that are more easily accessible. While many ant killer products can kill the ants on the surface area where they walk over, it takes specialized chemicals and treatment methods to deal with the ants that are hidden deep in the ground or in other hiding places.
Best Rated Outdoor ant Killers Reviewed
There are some great products out there that you can use to get rid of ants on your property. We want to to show you some of the best ones for outdoor use.
TERRO Ant Killer Plus
This powder ant killer is designed to be very easy to use. You simply shake it out gently over the area you want to in order to get rid of ants and other pests. It’s great at getting rid of a wide range of yard insects. It’s also designed to last for a while, but water can wash it away and make it ineffective. Pets will usually not come close to it, so you can use it pretty much anywhere safely.
Pros
- Great as a perimeter defense.
- Works very effectively against underground insects.
- No chemical cloud to deal with.
Cons
- Can be washed away quiet easily with water.
Quick Kill Lawn & Landscape Insect Killer Granules
This product doesn’t stop at just killing ants. It is also great at killing variety of other bugs (boasting as many as 50 different types of pests). It’s a little pricey, but it gets the job done, eliminating pests of all kinds in a short time. It works above and below the ground, seeping into the soil to destroy ant nests and other insect hiding places. It may take a little while to kill insects (up to 24 hours), but once it kills them, it keeps others away and does a good job of sticking around to kill other pests that enter the yard after treatment.
Pros
- Takes care of bugs on the ground and underneath the ground.
- Kills more than 50 types of bugs.
- Lasts for quite some time.
Cons
- May be difficult for some people to use, since it has to be sprinkled around.
Demise Fire Ant and Insect Killer
This effective ant killer may not be as easy to apply as some of the others, but it does a great job at eliminating a wide variety of ants and pests in general. It kills them by dehydrating their bodies, and this works very fast. Those that do survive will carry the poison back to their nest, potentially killing the queen when they do. Be advised that since this is a fast-acting product, eliminating the nest completely may be difficult.
Pros
- Very potent.
- Long lasting.
- Applied very easily.
Cons
- May be unsafe to use around children or pets running outside.
- Relatively short effective range.
Bugs R Done Fly, Cockroach and Ant Killer
If you want something that is much safer to use around sensitive animals and children, then this is the way to go. Bugs R Done has crafted a mostly natural treatment for ants and other bugs, and it uses potent citrus ingredients to kill them effectively.
That citrus smell gives it a pleasant scent and ensures that you and your pets should not be bothered by the smell at all. However, the lack of toxic chemicals can also mean that it is not as potent as some of the competition, so you will have to decide whether you want to go for something that is environmentally friendly and safe or potent and toxic.
Pros
- No unpleasant smells.
- Made with natural ingredients and safe for kids and pets.
- Repels a wide variety of insects in your home.
Cons
- Can lack effectiveness, not as potent as some of the competing products.
Quest Specialty 426001 Stormtrooper Fire Ant Killer
This Stormtrooper spray is one of the most effective ant killers on the market, but it is also one of the most expensive. It releases a fast-acting foam that penetrates deep into the ants’ nest and takes out bugs you could not otherwise reach. This pesticide is meant to be used directly on the nest though, so if you don’t know where the nest is, you may be wasting your time spraying this around your house.
It kills bugs very fast, and they usually won’t have time to take the poison back to their nest, so finding the nest is important. Even though this product is super effective, using it may be a bit of a hassle, since you will have to track down the nest by following the ant trail.
Pros
- Super powerful; kills bugs fast
- Foam covers the nest quickly and effectively, penetrating deep inside.
Cons
- Very expensive.
- Needs to be applied directly. This may prove to be a hassle when tracking the nest location.
Bayer Advanced 502790 Home Pest Control Indoor and Outdoor Insect Killer
Bayer’s product works as a natural barrier, repelling insects from your home or yard and killing those that are already there. It works very fast and kills most pests on contact. It also lasts longer than most other sprays and pest killers. In ideal situations, it can keep pests out for as long as a year, but your results may vary.
It also leaves behind no stains and has very little odor, so you and your pets should not mind the treatment. It is made to kill a wide range of pests and not just ants.
Pros
- Can work for up to a year after a single treatment.
- Kills bugs fast.
- Creates a barrier against new insects.
- Will not stain.
Cons
- Once you spray it, it stays there for a long time, leaving behind chemical traces and residue.
What to Consider Before You Buy Outdoor Ant Solutions?
When you are choosing an ant killing product, you want to make sure you are getting your money’s worth. To help you do that, we have listed a few things you should keep in mind:
- Long Lasting- You are not likely to get all the ants in the area when you apply your ant killing product. You may be able to get all those on your property, but what about the ants nearby? You need something that can last for a while to keep the ants away and show them that your property is inhospitable to them.
- Permeating- You also need an ant spray or ant treatment that can penetrate deep into the ant’s nest and affect the ant queen. That way, ant reproduction will be cut off and you will start to see them less frequently. It only takes an army ant queen a few days to lay as many as 300,000 eggs.
- Safe- Whatever kind of ant killer you buy, it needs to be safe for your family, your pets and your plants. You can end up with chemicals that are too harsh, and you have to be careful about what you are applying to your yard. You can kill the ants without harming anything else, but you need to research what you are planning to buy.
- Effective for Other Pests- You probably have more than just ants getting into your home and infesting your yard, and it doesn’t hurt to buy products that can kill a wide range of pests. Look for products that work on bedbugs, roaches, mosquitos and other common pests that you could do without.
What to Avoid
There are also some things you need to watch out for when you are shopping for an ant killer. Let’s look at what you should be avoiding when you purchase an ant killing product for your yard:
- Indoor Use Only- A lot of ant killers and other pesticides are made for indoor use, as they need those confined spaces to be effective. If you buy the wrong kind of ant killer, it can dissipate or wash away quickly.
- Too Small- When you have ants, you have lots of ants. You need a canister or other container that is big enough to have ample supply of the chemicals you will be using to get rid of the ants.
- Low Quality Containers- You don’t want ant spray spilling all over you as you try to eliminate pests, so you may want to pay slightly more for your ant killer product if you want a durable container.
- Too Fast- It’s great if the ant killer gets rid of ants in seconds, but what about the ones that are harder to get to? Don’t choose anything too fast acting if you want the pesticide to permeate into the nest and affect the whole ant colony.
Final Thoughts
Keep in mind that sometimes the efficacy of a certain product can depend on where you live, as well as what the weather conditions are.
Therefore, if some product didn’t do the job, try using another one. Eventually you will find an ant killer that works for you. As always, read labeling carefully, and follow instructions strictly to avoid any safety issues.
We hope that you found this article informative and that you can use this information to buy the right kind of ant killer for your property. If you follow our guidelines, then you should be rid of those pests in no time at all.