Q: I have noticed in my thin Bermuda lawn that whenever I kill a fire ant mound the grass grows up on the ant site with a vengeance. Do the ants secrete something? My wife thinks it is because ants aerate the ground.

A: It’s good to be married to a smart woman. Your wife is exactly correct. Fire ant mounds may extend a foot underground. Their tunnels thoroughly aerate the soil, which bermudagrass loves. To have a better lawn, you can either install a bunch of fire ant mounds or you can go over it thoroughly with a rented aerator. The choice is yours.