# Ant Hills in horse pasture



## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

My pest control guy told me we really don't get rid of ants unless we get the queen and the Workers are generally quick about getting her moved.

That said, for the anthills in my front pasture, paddock, and along the fence rows, I drop the mower as low as it will go and scatter the hill. The ants will move to a new place and I just hope that spot isn't where the horses are:?

As far as the hills in main pasture, if the bush hog doesn't get them, I hold my breath the horses won't roll on one:-(


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## Blue (Sep 4, 2011)

Diatomacious Earth. Not sure if it kills them, but usually will get them to move their hill. It's safe for all animals, just not insects


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## mred (Jan 7, 2015)

We have fire ants everywhere. Mowing makes them move and keeps the hills from getting too big. I am ready to try almost anything.


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## Cimarron (Oct 8, 2014)

We use Diatomacious Earth
I'm fairly sure it kills them because they definitely run out of the nest when it touched it. I think it has something to do with dissolving their exoskeleton.


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## smdecuir (Sep 18, 2014)

Thank you for your answers. Its so frustrating to see the ant hills and hoping your horses don't step in them. About the Diatomacious Earth, is it ok for the horses to breath it in or eat it?


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## Blue (Sep 4, 2011)

They won't typically breath it and _you_ could eat it if you wanted. I know people that feed it to their animals believing it is good for parasites.


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

DE can damage lung tissue. 
I have poured fly spray down the ant hill. Pyrethrins,


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

I can see if you have fire ants that are a problem but around here "ants in pasture" mean tiny little dots of black ants. Unless the ants are actually a problem just leave them. They are just bugs and won't bother the horses.


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## Blue (Sep 4, 2011)

The problem with the fire ants in the southwest is that they spread like wild fire. If not controlled the next thing you know they'll be right up to your back porch. And horses have been bitten by them.


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## Tracer (Sep 16, 2012)

There are multiple ant hills in my horses' paddocks. They and I soon learned not to stay in the area or on their paths for prolonged periods of time. If the horses make the mistake, they stomp around a couple of times and shake the ants off. Basically, we're learning to live with each other.

I've done some looking into it though, and walkinthewalk is right - if you don't kill the Queen, it's a futile effort.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Blue said:


> The problem with the fire ants in the southwest is that they spread like wild fire. If not controlled the next thing you know they'll be right up to your back porch. And horses have been bitten by them.


If this was in response to me please note I said "unless you have fire ants or something". Most ants are not an issue if you have ants that are _truly_ an issue then I would also be trying to find a way to get rid of them, since the OP didn't specify I don't want to assume that she means fire ants and the sort of ants we get around here are NOT an issue.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Why would you worry about ant hills? Like Yogiwick said, most are benign.

Are these, in fact, fire ants that you're trying to get rid of?


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## Cindyg (Jan 12, 2009)

For fire ants, I use Ortho Orthene. I don't kill regular ants. If you google, you can learn the difference between fire ant hills and regular ants.


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## mred (Jan 7, 2015)

In the south you learn about fire ants real fast. Other ants are not a problem. Fire ants will hurt anything that get near them. They go after birds that nest on the ground, eggs and babies. They will go after new born rabbiies. I have tried a lot of sprays. Most of the time they only move over. One place tried to sell something that vaccumed the ants up and claimed the tornado chamber would kill them.


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## 4hoofbeat (Jun 27, 2013)

if you use Diatomaceous Earth, make sure you use a drop spreader when it's not windy... Dangerous to breath in. 

It does kill the ants. ( I use it outside the house to keep ants from coming in, you see little scattered ant body parts)


.


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## Blue (Sep 4, 2011)

The DE does kill insects, but with fire ants especially you need to kiil the queen, otherwise they just keep moving her.


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