Researchers believe there are over twelve-thousand ant species today. However, it is only a handful of these creepers that pose a threat to your privacy, with the eight biggest culprits being: 

• Acrobat ants
• Argentine ants
• Asian needle ants
• Carpenter ants
• Crazy ants
• Dark rover ants
• European fire ants
• Field ants

These creepers live in colonies, some large enough to accommodate over three million insects. They wreak havoc in their large numbers and cause a lot of property damage. 

But Why Are There So Many Ants In My Yard?

Ants don’t just tumble into your space. They get attracted to sugar and grease. These substances are a perfect source of food to the ants, and a yard covered in residue becomes a hot-bed for colonization. 

Second, ants trek long distances in search of water. A yard full of water puddles, therefore, attracts an army of ants. These numbers, however, grow during the dry seasons. Last, ants’ nest in the lawn when they find an undisturbed, dry spot with well-drained soils. 

The Cons of Having Ants in Your Garden

Ants might enrich soils by improving the aeration patterns, but that does not mean you should tolerate them. Remember, increased insect activity breaks up the solid soil particles making them weak. The result is a loss in plant root grip. 

Plants then dry off and fall to the ground. Having an ant colony on-site, therefore, hurts the landscape. Financial losses amounting to thousands of dollars are also inevitable, meaning you must eliminate these pests when you can.

The Ant Elimination Process

Most people use pesticides to kill bugs. That, however, does not mean you should follow their lead, and here is why. The pesticides contaminate your garden. Besides, they destroy useful insects and animals that keep pest colonies at bay.

But there is a better option. Biological methods annihilate or deter colonies without contaminating ecosystems, and below are the steps to follow.

1. Chalk the Yard

Ants operate in territories. You must, therefore, demarcate the edge of the laws with chalk powder to keep the creepers away. You can also use eco-friendly products like cinnamon powder, curry powder, baby powder, or cayenne pepper to achieve the same results. Reapplication is also necessary after rains. 

2. Boil the Castle to the Ground

Killing insects is sometimes unavoidable. Pouring a lot of hot boiling water into the mound, anyhow, eliminates all occupants including the queen mother. Several applications are, however, vital to your success.

3. Use the Diatomaceous Earth Recipe

Do you have a few bucks to spare? You can buy some diatomaceous earth from the local hardware store and sprinkle it in your lawn. The alga cuts through the ant’s exoskeleton, killing it fast. It is way perfect for biological warfare because the insects never see it coming. 

4. Apply the Devil’s Concoction

Let’s be real. Ants are a menace. They make lawns unattractive by destroying ornamental plants. But there is always a cure for everything. The Devil’s concoction prepared by mixing peppermint with eight ounces of water plus a tablespoon of coconut oil repels the bugs around the clock. Reapplication is, however, vital to shield the lawn from future attacks.

5. Grit the Plants

Ants are as dumb as they look. They eat anything, and everything provided it has a sweet taste to it. But grits are ticking time bombs. They expand when ingested making the ant implode. 

6. Use the Cucumber Repellant

Cucumbers are sweet. They spice up meals, but that is not all they can do. Cucumber peelings contain trans-2-nenenal, a compound that repels the creepers naturally. All you must do is cover the ant hills with the peels and take a back seat. 

7. Landscape the Lawn With Plant Repellants

Did you know that landscaping the lawn with peppermint, spearmint, sage, pennyroyal, or plant catnip can advance your cause? Yes, these plants deter ants from accessing your garden thanks to their strong scents. They are inexpensive too.

How to Use a String Trimmer to Groom a Lawn

Conclusion

It is undebatable that a home filled with ants is no home at all. The insects not only cause the creeps but also contaminate food and water sources. Besides, they hold you hostage in your house, meaning you cannot “lounge” on the grass in your lawn.

The result is a series of psychological and financial headaches you never thought you would incur. But there is a cure. You can obliterate these bugs from your premise using readily available natural remedies. These solutions work like clockwork and do not contaminate ecosystems as pesticides do. 

Beyond everything, they are inexpensive. There is, therefore, no need for you to spend thousands of dollars on expensive repellants that put your life in jeopardy. In a nutshell, green is the way to go!

A string trimmer goes by many names. Most people, for instance, call it the weed-eater, weed-whacker, weed-whip, strimmer, edge trimmer, or whipper snipper. All these names, however, refer to the same thing.

Machine Evolution

The weed-eater has existed long before our time. It is the brainchild of George C. Ballas, a Houston native who invented the device in the early seventies after a “light-bulb” moment in the local car wash. The original prototype has, however, suffered many modifications with the present-day gadgets holding more advanced features. 

Device and Function

A string trimmer is a tool equipped with a monofilament line to help cut through grass and other vegetation. It works by rotating the line on a spindle at high velocity. Besides, the whipper snipper depends on gasoline or electric power for function. 

1. Gasoline Trimmers

Gas-powered weed-eaters might be noisy but helpful too. The devices:

• Have no cord making them easy to use
• Have enough power to cut through tall weeds
• Can work on extensive yards

But it boils down to the machine you choose. Gas trimmers come in two shades; The two-cycle and four-cycle engine. The four-cycle motor, although costlier, takes on more arduous tasks. Above all, the machine is silent and releases fewer pollutants to the atmosphere.

2. Electric Trimmers

Electric powered machines, on the contrary, are:

• Eco-friendly
• Inexpensive to maintain
• Light-weight

The electric motor, although affordable, only gives you a one hour window to complete the lawn grooming project before recharge. So, which model do you choose?

Decision Making

Cost is not the only factor you must consider when buying a string trimmer. You must also give thought to durability and safety. Besides, you must learn how to edge a lawn with a string trimmer with either of the top-rated models below. 

• Black Decker LST136W
• DeWalt 20V Max Lithium-Ion XR String Trimmer
• Husqvarna 17-Inch Straight Shaft String Trimmer
• Ryobi 2-Cycle Gas Straight Shaft String Trimmer
• Greenworks 80V 16-Inch String Trimmer

It’s Down To Business

How do you edge a lawn like a pro using a string trimmer? It is simple. You must:

1. Mow First

Mowing through the tall grass gives you a clear view of what lies beneath. It also trims the grass to the right size. But some spots are beyond reach.

Points under trees, fences, walls, and shrubs are only “groom able” with the help of a weed-whacker.

2. Edge Often 

Edging is not a onetime affair. In the real sense, it is something you must do often to prevent the grass from overgrowing. Regular edging also saves you time.

3. Clear the Grass When Conditions Are Right

A string trimmer works best on dry surfaces. You must, therefore, avoid edging when the grass is damp, and here is why. Wet grass reduces the machine’s performance.

It also exposes you to serious health risks caused by accidental falls. 

4. Brace for Impact

You need to invest in safety glasses and dust masks first before edging. Safety glasses protect your eyes from rock debris while dust masks shield you from inhaling the dust.

You can also throw in an earplug when using a noisy motor. 

5. Zoning

You need to define your working area from the get-go, and a rope comes in handy in this stage. The string helps you demarcate the path you need to follow for you to make a neat outline. Zoning, however, is not essential when edging along a wall. 

6. Cover Your Bases 

Turning the trimmer on is not enough. You must also hold the tool firmly for you to get that neat cut. In brief, a string trimmer is a gadget best held with two hands.

One hand should press on the trigger while the other should hold the handle. 

7. Lawn in The Right Direction

Edging a lawn is not an uphill task when you use your device right. A motor with a clockwise moving string, for example, is easy to maneuver starting from the left-hand side as you move to the right. The same technique applies to an anti-clockwise moving spindle.

8. Maintain the Level

You must move the trimmer back and forth for you to get a clean cut. Besides, you need to rim the edges often to make other edging campaigns easy.

Above all, align the device well until you achieve the perfect height for the grass. 

9. Clean Up the Debris

You need a clean working area for you to achieve the desired results. Regular cleaning is, thus, vital to your success.

It exposes the ground and allows you to spot any flaws fast. You can then correct them on the go.

10. Ring the Tree Stump

Trimming is never enough. You must also create beautiful patterns with the device, and tree stumps offer an excellent starting point.

You, by making rings around tree bases, give the landscape a distinct look. 

Conclusion

Edging a lawn is easy. You only need to invest in the right tools. Also, you must learn how to mow through the landscape. But perfection is not easy to achieve. It takes a lot of practice, meaning you must devote to the cause.