The subject of getting rid of ants is a interesting one to talk about.
  The reason is that there is a large variety in the species of ants, each of them are different in their own right.
  How to eliminate them depends on the species you are faced with.
  It's not a question of "how" but "what kind" - that is, what kind of ant is invading your home, or whatever? Due to the large variety, it is nearly impossible to figure out what you're dealing with.
  Also some regions are more prone to being invaded by one species than another.
  For example, fire ants run rampant in the south.
The best way to approach this is to break down treatment methods by the type of ants you may encounter.
  It will be up to you to decide what type of ant you may be up against.
  The most prevalent species will be covered here and a brief discussion of the signs so you can determine what type of ant it is.
Pavement Ants This is the most common type of household ant that people run into.
  This is the little dark colored ant that leaves small sand hills in sidewalks.
  How to get rid of ant hills in the garden is one of the most commonly cited problems people run into when dealing with ants.
The bait used should be sweet, like boric acid, which is a naturally occurring substance.
  Because these ants are so common, there are many treatment methods you can find at your local home and garden store.
  Just make sure it says it kills pavement ants.
  Sometimes you may find yourself up against winged ants.
  These are generally male pavement ants that are about to mate.
  You may see this crawling out of cracks in the walls of your home.
To treat this problem, you will be required to drill holes and apply an aerosol insecticide.
  This may be better left to the professionals.
  If these ants are left unchecked, it could result in serious damage to the frame of your home.
Fire Ants You may find yourself facing a colony of red ants, or fire ants.
  These ants are particularly evil because they are very protective of their territory and will swarm anything that threatens their environment.
  There is two phases to treating a fire ant invasion.
The first involves "broadcasting" a bait insecticide in and around the affected areas.
  This will wipe out a significant portion of the ants, but not all of them.
  The broadcast insecticide needs to be followed up by the drenching phase.
  This involves applying an organic liquid insecticide, by drenching the nests.
  Make sure to liberally apply the bait.
Pharaoh Ants The pharaoh ant is another common house ant you may run into.
  This species of ant is a tiny yellow brown colored ant.
  It is an extremely difficult ant deal with because it is a very resilient species.
  Like the pavement ant, you should use a sweet bait such as boric acid.
  The same stuff used to eliminate pavement ants can be used on pharaoh ants, but be sure to read the label.
These are the most common type of ants you will run into during your quest to make your home and garden ant free.
  There are hundreds of species you might encounter, but the techniques will be similar.
  The most important part of getting rid of ants, is figuring out what kind of ant you have.
  Give the treatment technique an opportunity to work.
  If it fails, try something different - you may have misidentified the species of ant.