How To Get Rid Of Fire Ants
Fire ants are not only annoying, but dangerous as well. They cause massive amounts of damage to your plants, your skin, and your entire yard. Many people have felt the wrath of a fire ant bite, that painful sting that doesn’t disappear for days. Gardeners dread the site of just one, because that means there are more lurking elsewhere, waiting to attack those vegetable plants. The moment you spot even one pesky fire ant means it is time to take action.
However, the common problem is, how do you get rid of fire ants? For people with gardens, insecticides are not an option. Most homeowners, garden or no garden, hate the idea of putting chemicals on their lawn. Of course, if you don’t have a garden and don’t care about using chemicals, you can always go out to the nearest home improvement store and pick up some fire ant killer. This is the quickest way to get rid of them without putting much time or effort into it. There are many brands to choose from, but they all do pretty much the same thing. If you are looking for a more natural way, you have over a dozen options.
There is an overabundance amount of natural solutions and home remedies out there, but very few effective ones. Here are a few methods you can try:
HOT WATER
This is one of the most eco friendly options out there but can take many applications to fully flush the ants out and is a lot of hard work. It is not always 100% effective either. However, if you only have a small mound or two, this might be just the option for you. Start by boiling at least 3 gallons of water to a scalding temperature. Then make a hole in the mound with a stick and pour the hot water inside. Quick and inexpensive. Downside? Hot water kills plant life so you make sure you are willing to let go of those flowers before you try this one.
CITRUS PEELS
Another home remedy is to use a citrus mix. Sometimes it works and sometimes it only moves your little colony of ants three feet east. The idea is pretty simple, take the skin of a few oranges and some water, blend it together, and spray it onto the mound. There are a few different variations of this out there; some suggest adding garlic-pepper tea to make it stronger while others call for letting the orange peels sit in the water for up to 10 days.
DIATOMACEOUS EARTH (D.E.)
This is, basically, sedimentary deposits formed from the remains of a class of algae, found in water and in soil. It is ground into an abrasive dust with razor sharp particles that causes tiny abrasions on an insect. This causes heavy amounts of blood loss and a dead fire ant. Most feed stores sell it and it is harmless if you have any pets. It works slowly, but effectively. It’s best to sprinkle some in a circle around the mound, as well as pour some down into it. Fire ants know this is bad and do their best to avoid it, but it does kill them when they come in contact with it.
The only true way of getting rid of fire ants for good is with chemicals. The hot water method takes a few tries and results in killing surrounding grass and plants. Using citrus peels can cause the ants to pick up and move if the queen escapes unharmed. With D.E. you have to make sure your red hot ants don’t run away from it like the plague.
The best defense, if you want to avoid chemicals, is a mixture of a few of the natural ways. You can start off by using D.E. and hot water. Or if you are worried about keeping your plants alive, use the citrus peel mixture instead. If you keep at it, your fire ants should be gone in no time.
Just remember, fire ants are aggressive by nature, so when dealing with them make sure to wear protective clothing and cover any easily accessible areas of skin, such as your ankles and hands. And remember, if you start seeing any unusual symptoms after being bit, seek medical attention.
