Fire ant attack! This is war!

Zone 8b, southeast, TX on Lake Rayburn
I really enjoyed reading all the remedies for Fire Ants.
I read these Fire Ants came up from Mexico as well as Killer Bees.
Will Fire Ants damage plant roots?
Tom uses powder form of Orthene (really stinks). He sprinkles just a little around mound. Worker ants take this poison down to their Queen; then they all have a dieing experience.
I believe until the Government provides a national approach, we will continue to have these destructive varments everywhere.
Thank you for good suggestions on Fire Ant management.
Stay safe and Happy Gardening.

hey all, i was looking online just a bit ago for something to kill my own fire ants and came across this, there are three different kinds, and it sounds good to me, they are available from the website i got this info from.
id like to know if anyone has used this for insects and had luck. this stuff is sold so that you mix it in water and apply it that way, seems pretty easy.
tammy

Beneficial Nematodes -For Pest Insects
Beneficial nematodes seek out and kill the immature stages of harmful soil-dwelling insects before they become adults. They can be used to control a broad range of soil-inhabiting insects and above-ground insects in their soil-inhabiting stage of life. More than 200 species of insect pests from 100 insect families are susceptible to these insect predators
Information Guide)
Heterorhabditis Bacteriophora Nematodes (HB)

Are most effective against Beetles, Grubs, Weevils, and many other target pests in lawn and garden. They burrow down in the soil to a depth of 7" looking for deep soil- dwelling pests.

•Target pests include:
Cucumber Beetle, Grubs, Gall midge, Strawberry Rootweevil, May/June Beetle, Masked Chafer, Cranberry Rootworm, Flea, Scarab and Japanese beetles, Straw- berry Root and Black-vine Weevils, Chafer, Squash Bugs, Leaf Beetles, Termite, Cutworms, White Grubs, Algae Gnats, Black Fly, Potato Tubeworm, Meal Worm, Bark Beetle, Corn Root Weevil, Fire Ant, sting Bugs, Pine Beetle, Gall Gnats, Gypsy Moth, Corn Root Worm, Billbug, Colorado Potato Beetle, Thrips, Ants and termites (apply directly to mound and nest areas),and many other deep soil dwelling insects.

•They are highly efficent when the pest is more widely dispersed in the soil because they have a "tooth" to rupture the insect's skin and enter through the insect's body wall and openings.

Steinernema Carpocapse Nematodes (SC)

Is most effective against flea larvae and caterpillars in lawns, garden soil, and under trees where larvae pupate. They stay near the surface waiting to ambush surface dwelling pests.

•Target pests include:
Fleas, Dog and cat flea larvae, Codling Moth, Cutworm, Armyworm, Leafminer, Bluegrass billbugs, termites, ants, Sod Webworm, Mole Cricket, some caterpillar pests, Billbug, Flies, ArmyWorms, Loopers, European Crane Fly, Cranberry Girdler and many other surface dwellers.

Steinernema Feltiae Nematodes (SF)

Are the most effective against larval control of several fly species (sciaridae, phoridae, leaf miners, domestic fly and also of some moth larvae. They patrol the top 3" of the soil.

•Target pests include:
Fungus Gnat, Mushroom Flies, Fruit Flies, Flea Beetles, Saw Flies, Tachina Flies, Crane Flies, Shore Flies and fruit flies.

• They are effective against some plant parasitic nematodes, particularly root-knot nematodes.





BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF GRUBS AND OTHER SOIL DWELLING PESTS
Nematodes are microscopic, non-segmented worms which occur naturally in soil all over the world. Thousands of strains exist with different life-styles. Beneficial ones attack soil dwelling insects and leave plants alone. These predators enter the host through body openings or by penetration of the body wall. Once inside, they release a bacterium which kills the host within 48 hours. The nematode continues to reproduce and its offspring begin to seek out new host material. Beneficial nematodes are a totally safe biological control parasitic insect organism. They are so safe that the EPA has waived the registration requirements for application.

NATURES WAY OF KILLING INSECT PESTS IN THE SOIL.

Though they are harmless to humans, animals, plants, and healthy eartworms, beneficial nematodes aggressively pursue pest insects. When they sense the temperature and carbon dioxide emissions of soil-borne insects, they move toward their prey and enter the pest through its body openings. The nematodes carry an associated simbiotic bacterium (Xenorhabdus species) that kills insects fast - within 48 hours. The bacteria is harmless to humans and other organisms and cannot live freely in nature. Several generations of nematodes may live and breed within the dead pest and they emerge and seek more pests in the soil. Nematodes offer a way to kill the immature stages of garden pests before they become adults.

Beneficial nematodes control grubs that are known to destroy crops. They are effective against white grubs and the larval or grub stage of Japanese Beetles, Northern Masked Chafer, European Chafer, Rose Chafer, Fly larvae, Oriental Beetles, June Beetles, Flea beetles, Bill-bugs, Cut-worms, Army worms, Black Vine Weevils, Strawberry Root Weevils, Fungus Gnats, Sciarid larvae, Sod Web-worms, Girdler, Citrus Weevils, Maggots and other Dip-tera, Mole Crickets, Iris Borer, Root Maggot, Cabbage Root Maggot, Flea, Ants, and Carrot Weevils.

These predators are also effective against: termites, German cockroaches, flies, ants

sttammy, what web site did you find the info on the nematodes?

Also, can anyone tell me if using clorox diluted with water to wash off my porch railing will kill the plants in the flowerbed beneath.

http://www.gardening123.com/productinfo/over_n_out/default.asp

I hope your knee is better that looks very painful.
I want to say that "Over and Out" is excellent. I put this allover my yards in April with a spreader. We haven't had any mounds. If I see any ants pop up in the beds or walkways I go get a cup full & go spread it. We live on a lake so I have to always keep some handy.
I have also heard that amonia is good for stings. We are having a problem right now with Yellow Flies. They literally eat me up.
SHellie