Key Takeaways
What Are Fire Ants?
There are several types of fire ants.
Native fire ants (Solenopsis geminata; Solenopsis xyloni) were also introduced here by accident.
Credit: Photo: marufish/em
Fire ants form colonies of thousands, building mounds by creating a maze of tunnels underground.
The soil from tunneling is deposited at the soil line, forming mounds.
They build the mounds up during cool or wet weather to keep their nest dry.
emTry not to sit on this. Photo: Ferd Birdly/em.
During hot weather, they retreat deeper into the ground.
When they feel threatened, they attack by stinging repeatedly.
Worker ants search for food, and theyre the ones you see in action outside the mound.
Credit: Courtesy of Home Depot
The queen lays the eggs, and shes the key to getting rid of a whole colony.
Don’t Leave Fire Ants Unchecked
Fire ants aren’t harmless.
The pustule-causing stings that are administered by these tiny monsters are more than an annoyance.
People with allergies can die from anaphylactic shock after a single sting.Small children stung dozens of times have died.
Fire ants also take a tremendous toll on livestock and other wildlife, especially ground-nesting birds.
So we are justified inwanting to kill thembefore they kill us.
The question is how?
To be effective, the control must kill the queen.
So let’s review some of the controls that don’t work.
It’s a nice thought, and I’ve tried it.
No tiny mushroom clouds.
So it kills any ant it touches.
Trouble is, it’s highly unlikely to reach the queen.
And if it gets wet, it washes into the soil, and you have to put more down.
Boiling Water
You know why you like this one.
You want to boil those little suckers alive and hear their tiny screams!
In the meantime, you’ll have scalded yourself, and your scream won’t be tiny.
Orange Peels
Citrus oil does repel ants and other insects.
Therefore, they avoid it.
If you dumporange peelson the mound, the ants will simply move the mound.
Club Soda
Oh, this is genius!
You pour a liter bottle of club soda on the mound.
The carbon dioxide in the soda replaces the oxygen in the mound, and the ants suffocate.
You’re gonna need ‘em because the ants will be backasking for your Scotch.
Diesel Fuel or Gasoline
Really?
You’re gonna kill fire ants by dumping diesel on the mound and killing the grass too?
They involve synthetic insecticides.
But when used as directed, they’re safe, and theywork.
Acephate kills any ant it touches, so the hope is the workers will get some on the queen.
Amdro is a slow-acting stomach poison bound to corn grits mixed with soybean oil.
And when Amdro bait gets wet, it quickly spoils, and ants won’t eat it.
Season-Long Entire Lawn Treatments
This is what Grumpy recommends.
Ortho Fire Ant Killer, containing bifenthrin, works well for me.
I put it down the first week of April and had zero fire-ant mounds for the next six months.
is a similar product.
Grumpy don’t shill for nobody.)
What Are Fire Ants Good For?
It is curious how Mother Nature has graced us with such vile creatures as fire ants.
Have you ever wondered what these insects are actually good for?
Do fire ants have a purpose?
Fire ants are omnivores and will eat just about everything.
A large part of a fire ant’s diet consists of other arthropods.
Fire ants have been shown to aid in the decrease of somepest insectnumbers.
For example, the tick population in a yard infested with fire ants will be reduced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fire ants are attracted to greasy foods.
These insects will also consume other insects, seeds, or vegetation growing in the ground.
No, vinegar will not kill or prevent fire ant infestations.
For this reason, vinegar is not considered a permanent solution to managing fire ant infestations.
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.Imported Fire Ants.
Mississippi State University Extension.Fire Ant Biology.
Kruse, Brian, Jackie Anderson, and Leslie V. Simon.
Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing, 2023.
Cooperative Extension, USDA.Regional Information About Fire Ants.
