While we definitely don’t like to see ants in our homes, ants in our lawns can be beneficial. Along with earthworms, ants are the natural aerators of our lawns. Their colonies typically reside in the subsurface and unless they become disturbed, they don't cause our lawns too much trouble.  We tend to see ants more in the spring or after hard rains because their colonies get flooded and they have to regroup.  That being said, most of us would prefer not to see an overabundance of them in our lawns, so what can be done?

Ants tend to reside in drier soil, so keeping your lawn well-watered as me move through our summer season is beneficial.  Since ants feed on sugary or protein food bits, keeping your lawn free of fruit and vegetable scraps is a must.  Your lawn care provider can offer an insecticide program that is applied on the lawn itself.  A general insecticide product would be helpful in suppressing ant populations in the turf, but it would take time and consistent applications to yield effective results.

The bottom line, if you are only noticing ants periodically in the lawn, there is most likely nothing to worry about.  If you see colonies growing in the lawn, becoming a deterrent for proper mowing, or if the colonies begin to move too close to the home, it's time to take action.