Here’s where it gets cool. Buy some food-grade diatomaceous earth (DE). It’s a fine, white powder made from crushed fossilized algae. Sounds harmless, right? For an ant, it’s like walking through a field of microscopic razor blades.
Spread a thin line of DE around ant hills or along baseboards in the yard (it’s safe for pets and kids when dry). The ants crawl through it, and it dries out their exoskeleton. It’s not poison, it’s just a very unfriendly carpet.
The Boiling Water Trick (Use With Care)
For a direct hit on a visible ant mound, try boiling water. Pour a full kettle directly into the center of the hill. It’s effective, but be careful—it will also kill the grass in that spot. It’s the nuclear option for a tiny, localized problem.
How Do You Get Rid Of Ant Mounds In Your Yard at Mitchell Leadbeater blog
You might get the queen, which is the genius part. If you don’t, the colony just rebuilds somewhere else. But hey, it’s a pretty satisfying, old-school method.