Question
I live in New Hampshire, home of rocky, sandy, generally lousy soil. I have been trying to get a decent lawn for 3 years without using Chem-lawn, or other such services. We bought a bunch of "topsoil" 2 falls ago and spread it around, seeded, put down grub killer, "organic" fertilizer from "Gardens Alive" and waited for our beautiful new lawn. Instead, we have even more bare patches than before. I have put down nematodes to try to control grubs with no evident benefit, as well as more applications of the "Gardens Alive" lawn fertilizer.  This spring I decided to turn things over to Scotts, and put down a bunch of seed and their starter fertilizer.  This was 2 weeks ago.  Germination is pathetic.  I am starting to wonder if the topsoil we bought was contaminated with herbicides!  Do you have any suggestions?  By the way, we also have many, many anthills in the lawn.  Any suggestions for those?  I don't want to kill any earthworms that may be brave enough to inhabit our poor soil!  Thank you.  

Answer
I don't know of nematodes that will kill grubs. May be some, I just haven't heard of them. I rely on my toads, lizards and grass snakes.
Poor germanation could be bad seed, old seed, or the birds could be eating your seed. That is the problem I always had with seeds. I just provided a banquet for birds.
I sod in St. Augustine.
burmudas, and any grass that spreads from runners can be sodded or plugged in.
Watering,,,,,, always water to a depth of at least 6 inches. shallow watering encourages roots to come to the surface to get water, and that promotes harm from cold and heat. Deep watering encourages roots to go deep. Water again when the top 2 inches are dry.
You may not have enough sun to that area. most grasses require at least 6 hours of sun a day.
Since you have so much bare area, how about just tilling it up, and starting over?
I would till in 1 part landscaper's or planter's mix to one prt existing soil. then plug in or sod in some grass. I wouldn't even fertilize. the landscaper's and planter's mix has humus, peat and all that good stuff in there.just broadcast dry molasses, or if you can't find that, use plain table sugar. I use sugar, and broadcast, by hand, about 1 pound per 350 to 400 sq.ft. Water in in well.
If you use dry molasses, the directions of how much to use are probably on the bag.
Fertilizer kills beneficial microbes that nourish the soil and make it rich. The dry molasses or sugar keeps them alive.
when you do fertilize, if you do, put down the fertilizer, and then the sugar or molasses, and water it in together.
ANTS!!!!
For fire ants, ,,,,,
The main ingredient in effective fire ant control is orange oil. I chop up orange peel, and scatter it on my lawn. You don't have to cover every inch.
If there is an ant bed, strew a handful directly on the bed.
I don't have the little black ants anymore. I am not sure if it is the orange peels, or the lemon peels. I chop lemon peels and scatter them in my flower beds, where i don't want neighborhood cats to use for a litter box, and leave me those unpleasant surprises to dig up. works better that any cat repellent on the market.
An added benefit to the sugar, I don't have weeds.
Weeds like poor soil. Make rich soil, and the weeds will not thrive. they will come up, and after a few mowings, they will just go away. After a few years, about 3 or 4, they will just not come up anymore.

also, if you are not keeping the soil damp after you sew seeds, that may be why they are not germinating.
But my money would be on the birds.
Write me any time you feel I can help you.
Charlotte