Say Goodbye To Ants In Your Lawn With An Eco-Friendly Home Depot Find

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A few insects wandering through the grass may not warrant much attention. However, growing mounds and ants marching toward your back door are another story. Not only are they a total eyesore, but large ant mounds can also make a lawn uneven and smother surrounding grass. If you're reluctant to use conventional pesticides in your yard and want to try natural pest control remedies (especially where children and pets play), there is a solid, eco-friend choice in EcoSmart's Natural Plant-Based Insect Killer Granules. 

You can snag this product at Home Depot. It is designed for outdoor lawn and foundation treatments and uses clove and thyme oils to keep ants away. It comes in a 10-pound bag (around $30) that will treat up to 5,000 square feet, enough for a small yard. EcoSmart says the product is safe around children and pets when used as directed — an important distinction. At the end of the day, it's still an insecticide, so following the package's instructions is a must.

Here's something you don't hear often with an insecticide: You can actually pronounce all the ingredients in EcoSmart's granules. The ant-killing ingredients are strong plant oils, with 2% clove oil and 0.6% thyme oil. Corn cobs and wintergreen oil make up the remaining ingredients, and the granules kill by contact. According to the manufacturer, compounds in its plant oils interfere with insects' nervous system, involving neuro-receptors called octopamine, but it has no effect on mammals.

EcoSmart says its botanical ingredients do not persist in soil and degrade relatively quickly in water, which can reduce any lingering residue. While that is definitely a benefit for organic lawn care, it also means you may have to apply it more than once. The company also markets its products as minimum-risk pesticides exempt from federal registration. However, the EPA explains that it generally does not review individual products claiming that exemption, so this isn't an EPA endorsement of effectiveness or safety.

For households with children and pets, the manufacturer's safety claim applies only if the product is used as directed. Follow your bag's application and watering instructions carefully, and store it up high to avoid any temptation from curious kids, because while the granules are safe to use around pets and kids, they still should not come in direct contact with either. Once the ants have been eradicated, check out the easiest way to get rid of ant hills in the yard to keep your lawn looking its best.