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How to Get Rid of Fire Ants
One of the first things to remember is NOT to disturb the mound. Don’t kick it, don’t poke it with a stick, don’t go over it with a weed eater or lawn mower, don’t try to burn the mound down, don’t shoot it with a shotgun…and last but not least, don’t blow it up! We have known some people to say they have had success using one of these methods but it’s highly unlikely…not to mention unsafe! So…what’s left? Properly treat the mound using one of the following methods:
- Baits: A bait product, such as Amdro, can be sprinkled around the mound so that the worker ants take it down into the mound, the queen will eat the bait and become sterile. It can take up to 2 to 3 weeks but the mound will be completely eliminated.
- Wettable Orthene: Another method would be to use Hi Yield Fire Ant Control with Acephate using a pump up sprayer and spreader sticker, which increases the effectiveness of the chemical. Mix well before spraying. Watch our You Tube on spreader sticker to see what a difference this product makes. Pump the sprayer up as much as possible and set the sprayer nozzle to spray as hard as it can. Apply some to the outside so as the ants try to escape, the product will kill them. Insert the wand into the mound as you as spraying. If possible, go to the bottom of the mound. Continue to let the product flow, use anywhere from a half gallon to a gallon. This is a faster way to get rid of a mound than the bait. This has a great residual effect so as they crawl out, they will continue to die.
- Granular products: You can also spread a granular product such as Hi Yield Turf Ranger or Ortho Max Fire Ant Killer with spreader; make sure you measure the area and set the spreader at the correct level. Most bags will cover approximately 5,000 square feet. These products do not require any water or rainfall to activate.
- Co2 product: And last, there is a new product on the market called Ant Zap, which uses CO2. You put the wand down in the mound and release the CO2…this will suffocate the ants.
So, don’t go blowing up your fire ant mounds…just treat them properly!
