Fire Ants: Any suggestions?

OK Chuck, I've learned something new..thank you very much.

Now that is a real shame, Chuck. I was hoping to put those biting beggers to work.

Okay, so I tried the Orangeguard and it helped on one mound, but not so much on another and it really only seemed to have an effect it I used it full strength.

On the attached link is an Orange Oil Recipe for Fire Ants. This worked on 3 mounds that I had (one that I have been fighting for a while) and it is actually organic and good for the soil. Now there's something you don't hear everyday! I was actually digging up the area all around one of the mounds the next day and I did not see one ant. On the other two mounds, I went and stirred up the area where the mound was as well as a general area around it to make sure that they hadn't just moved over a little and I didn't find any ants.

http://www.urbanharvest.org/advice/pestsdiseases/fire_ant.htm

I did use the full gallon that is suggested to make sure that I fully saturated the mounds. I used the Medina Orange Oil from Lowe's ($16 a bottle), Blackstrap Molasses from HEB ($4.00 a bottle) and just a milk jug that I had already saved.

Anyway, hope this helps someone else.

well..I put on my fire ant bait & the little beggers took some!!!! hahaha....but I have yet to try the grits.

I have tried the grits with mixed results. We sprinkled the grits on a large mound at least 5 times and that mound is dead. Does it have to be applied many times before is works? Some mounds are still alive, what results have you all had?
Not that i mind, it is easy cheap and safe, so however many times it takes is fine with me.
Josephine

depends on the weather frostweed...I find that the drier it is the less I see..however after a good rain is when I know if I have more than I care for!! I have had much success with the bait I have now ( the name eludes me).. so trying the grits will be new for me.

Today an interesting thing happened; there were about 40 or so ladybugs inside, walking on my bedroom windows. I guess they've been rooming with us over winter. LOL so I scoop a couple of them up with a piece of paper and drop them on the ground outside my bedroom door. Well, I didn't know there was an ant mound right there hiding under the leaves!! when the ladybugs hit the ground, the ants swarmed. I was horrified thinking I had sentenced them to death and ran inside to get something (I wasn't sure what) and came back with the dust pan. I know!! I was very surprised to see the ladybugs still sitting there alive and the ants had moved out of sight!! What is going on with that? Does someone have the answer to this?

So I picked the ladybugs up and placed them in another area. I spent probably an hour relocating the ladybugs, a few at a time, from my bedroom to outside today. Most of them flew away when I walked outside with them.

I've tried shuggins recipe on the ant mound since I had the ingredients on hand (orangeguard). Hope it works.

Another question I have is how do you know if they are native ants? Are those the small, less aggressive ones?

Well, I have to report back that two of the mounds that I had have stayed gone and they were decent size mounds. The third mound, I think was just larger than I thought I have had to re-treat that mound. I think that as long as I stringently treat them, I can knock down their numbers under the mound won't be viable. I do know that it does kill ants. I see dead ones, it is just getting the drench heavy enough to find the queen!

818, read something about the ladybugs that come inside are not the old fashioned kind we have been raised to love and protect. Might google to find out more. Wish I were more specific.

Christi

Thanks Christi I was wondering what they were doing in the house! But apparently it is a huge problems happening all over the US.
www.wickedlocal.com/westford/archive/x1197764530/Ladybugs-hibernating-inside-Westford-houses

I will probably relay this wrong, but my DH says that fireants (and many other insects) are exoskeletal and the orange oil dissolves the waxy coating around their joints, killing them. The molasses enriches the soil making it undesirable to the ants; and fire ants do not like sugar because it speeds up the deterioration of any stored protien/food, again causing said food to spoil quickly and the ants to leave!

Thanks for the explanation. Everyone that I have mentioned the molasses to seem to think that is should actually draw ants (since if you have ever dropped a drop of jelly or whatever outside, they swarm it, but I think that has more to do with the fact that they can control the intake whereas when it is drenched in their house, they can't do that.

Has anyone found that adding banana peels to their beds have drawn ants? I am going to start some raised beds and would like to add banana peels and other veggie peels, but certainly don't want to attract any ants.

I do that, Sheila. It doesn't draw ants, but I do see a lot more possums. I'm hoping they leave SOME of the peels for the plants..

LouC, you're right about the uninvited guests not being regular ladybugs. They are Asian lady beetles, and basically harmless -

https://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/AsianLadyBeetles/tabid/10714/Default.aspx

Yuska

Glad to know the ladybugs are beneficial. Just hope they don't over-run our natives. I have put banana peels at the base of the rose bushes for years. So far no adverse effects and the roses love it.

Christi

anyone heard of vinegar getting rid of fire ants? I've just learned that vinegar wll get rid of weeds! Haven't tried it yet.

Vinegar will definitely kills plants, so use it on your weeds very carefully. I use it on our brick pathway to kill the weeds growing through the cracks. I don't know what ants would think of it.

Vinegar kills ants too, just be careful that you don't kill your plants along with the ants, but it works great.

Why keep messing with different things for fire ants. The new insecticide Spinosad is an organic based product. The marketing name Conserve, and there may be others is a great product. I have not tried it yet, but Texas A&M recommends it. May have to look around for availability. I do know Amdro broadcast sparingly under the right conditions for a heavy infestation is a sure thing.

For snails, slugs and sometimes Roly Polys, any iron phosphate product is great. Sluggo is the most common name, but some other products contain it and it's cheaper. Iron phosphate is a naturally occurring product in the soil, just not in high enough quantity to be effective. Totally safe around kids and pets versus toxic Metaldehyde in common slug and snail baits. Takes about 3-5 days to kill the pests, interferes with the digestive system and they literally starve to death. Before dark wet the areas to be treated to draw them out, then broadcast it.

in spring I may do two light treatments within 5-7 days, and followup when I notice damage or see them again. Lasts a month or more, depending on the initial infestation. I suggest a heavy first application on your yard and ten feet into your neighbors the first time you use it. After your first treatment, any eggs take about 2-3 weeks to mature, so treat again in 3 weeks. Once your program is in place, you'll have it under control. I only had to treat once last summer. I bought a 25 pound bag online that was 50% cheaper per pound, but it lasted me 4-5 years.

Household vinegar (3-5% acidity) is often to weak to kill tougher weeds. What is recommended is the agricultural vinegar - about 20% acidity sprayed on when the sun is beating down on the weeds. Works best on sidewalks, bricks, cracks, etc., but be careful when spraying around other plants or grass.

The best weed removing tool is a plain old serrated stainless knife with a big handle. The cheap $2.50 variety. Don't pull weeds, slice em out. Angle the blade below the cambium growth at the soil line and slice - then lift them out. Works especially well on rye grass, dandelions and tough summer weeds. No effort, no holes, great exercise - alternating knee bends, and cull your whole yard in minutes.

Chuck

This message was edited Mar 18, 2009 10:00 AM

Lowe's has the Green Light Fire Ant Killer with Conserve. I put some out 2 days ago. I did actually see the ants pick it up immediately and start taking it underground, so that is a good sign. Says it should work on a mound in 3-14 days, so we will see. I have not done the broadcast yet, just treated 4 mounds in the yard.

The life cycle of fire ants is short, 2-3 weeks. The mound queens are always served the best food (bait) first. Once the queens die in a mound, the existing ants and the lack of workers to constantly tend to the eggs will die off over 2 weeks.

I didn't realize that the span was that short. Good. Well hopefully their dear queen(s) got a belly full. I am an impatient sort, but will have no choice but to wait and see. If it is successful, then I will gladly broadcast the yard routinely. I really like that it is considered organic and not a synthetic.

Broadcast early morning or late afternoon during their foraging periods, 3-4 days after rain or watering for best results. Toss some over the fence into your neighbors yard to catch those lurking close by as well.

I like to use a serrated knife as a weeding tool also, it works grate.
Josephine.

I have read there can be as many as 12 queens in a fire ant mound. Anyway to find out if that is true.

I've seem many more than 12 in larger mounds many times over. Typically the queen is the only one with wings, others may be males before migrating and mating in the spring.

Very informational article -
http://www.safe2use.com/pests/fireants/fireants2.htm

Video of ant colony floating to new home and shows queen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A042J0IDQK4

Chuck

Texas A&M's ag department has all sorts of great info about fire ants: http://fireant.tamu.edu/

This was a great article! http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/beneficials/beneficial-56(partial)_red_imported_fire_ant.htm

And apparently some colonies have one queen, and some have lots. I don't know how you can tell the difference - unless you want to dig in the mound, which sounds extremely painful. Here's what the page says:

Okay, I am happy to report that where ants were yesterday on two mounds, they are not today. They may have moved, but I looked closely and did not see them, so maybe they actually died. It was a small newly made mound, if that matters. Guess time will tell.

Today, I got out and really dug around where mounds had been and I am very happy to report that there were lots of little dead bodies. I didn't dig down really deep, but I can honestly say that I think it may have killed the mound. Same thing in another mound that I treated. On the other two areas, one still had quite a bit of activity. The last mound still have activity, but I am not sure there are the same number of ants, so maybe they are in decline.

I don't know what variety of ant I have. It is not near as large as a fire ant and it is black.
Don't even know there is a mound until I either dig into it or step on it. Do know this they sting like fire and make a huge knot under the skin. Itches for a week and then leaves a purple place for months. When we started to plant squash just yesterday, opened up a whole bunch. Had to stop and apply any killer and wait to see how it is later today.

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/fireant.html

TXrockgarden

Thanks for the informative link. Hoping that one or two of the current experiments pan out for practical application.

After reading this, Conserve (Spinosad) seems to be one of the best natural ways other than the pyrethrin family for mound control. Amdro and similar bait products still seem the best for broadcasting in a wide area application, although the harm to native ants should be considered.

Chuck

Thanks for the information, Jerry. I have bookmarked and will be referring to it.

I had some fire ants show up in my gh and didn't have any Conserve. I did have some grits in the fridge, so I threw some on the pile and a few days later DH even dug around in that spot and found not a one.

I tried the vinegar on the fire ant mound but no success..HOWEVER it works GREAT on killing the weesd AND they died rather quickly, which I was surprised at. I had better success with my fire ant bait (Safer brand) in getting rid of the ants.

Dancing with fire ants for years now I have a few methods that work for our acres. There have been lots of posts and if these suggestions have been made, sorry, I didn't read in detail,

I do use a commercial bait. I save up pickle or jelly jars (any jar will work) with a screw type top. Do make sure the inside of jar and lid is quite dry, jab good size holes in the metal lid, toward the center and plenty large for ants to come and go. Place a tablespoon or two of bait (Amdro or otherwise) into jar, secure lid and place near or right next to mound. Sometimes I sprinkle a bit out the top to tease or place a bit of something (ant)yummy just outside the lid. This 'ant dance' is an on-going project....

I have 3 or 4 jars around the yard year around. Jars keep the bait dry for a few days while the helpful little workers take the 'treat' home to mama, or mamas. Now days I mostly use canning jars with chipped rims and used flats and rusty rings. I just have to remember to move the jars for mowing.

I have seen my chicken peck at the jars but this way I don't have to broadcast or leave open pile of bait for the hens to peck.

As for ant bites...they put big nasty festering white pustules upon my hands and legs. My best fix so far is to place vinegar in a spray bottle by the back door step. I like to use canning vinegar but apple cider smells good, too. I remove the shoes/gloves and spray down with the garden hose, then spray the bites with the vinegar and wait .....

Fire ant bites (stings) are alkaloid and quick application of the vinegar helps to neutralize and reduce the number of festering white itchy pustules that form. I rinse again after 5 or 10 minutes and then apply an 'anti'-bacterial to the bites because I was playing in the dirt and still have a hard time resisting the need to scratch that itch....The vinegar does need to be applied 'pdq' or the alkali poison junk (which is strong enough to kill small things) will have begun its work.

Boiling water is the best natural control I know of but not so practical on my size lot. Watching the neighbor do the pour gasoline or kerosene down a nest then light it up is a hoot but not very effective depending on how deep the nest goes.

Thank you for the "jars" idea - with outside cats and a couple of young dogs, I was wondering how to protect them while eliminating the ants.

Your jar technique is an excellent idea - thanks for sharing!

Yesterday I discovered a 15 gal pot that ants have moved into to dry out. Anyway there must have been a million. I took the pot and dumped it on a large mound that had been in the same spot for at least two years. These guys were nasty, the mound is about three feet in diameter, I always meant to try and move them out. This morning I checked it out and I could not stir up one ant. They might still be there but they ain't boiling out like they did yesterday. I believe they didn't get along with the new living arrangements and left to a more peaceful environment.

Fire ants from different colonies will fight to the death. That's a great natural control if you can pull it off.

I sure hope that large mound is history. I have been walking around it and generally ignoring it for a long time. The most I did to it was to mow over it and knock the dirt down to ground level. The mound was dangerous to man and beast.