How to Kill Fire Ants Once and For All

Fire ants are extremely difficult to control.

The best overall control of fire ants is done with a two-step method that uses both broadcast baits and mound treatments. Broadcast baits are applied in the fall and spring, and individual mounds that pop up are treated with an insecticidal drench. But this won't totally eliminate fire ants from your life. While fire-ant treatments are effective, they are not 100 percent, nor will they prevent new ants from establishing new nests. The only surefire method to get rid of all fire ants is to move to a northern climate where the winter temperatures are too cold for them to survive.

Things You'll Need

• Broadcast fire-ant bait
• Hand-held seed spreader
• Granular or dust fire-ant insecticide

Instructions

Broadcast Baits

1. Spread broadcast baits in the fall between late August until the end of October. This way the bait can reduce nests through the winter.

2. Purchase bait that contains insect-growth regulators such as methoprene, pyriproxyfen and fenoxycarb when applying in the fall. Although they take longer to take effect, they have all winter to work and will last longer.

3. Test the bait to make sure it is fresh before broadcasting it. Place a small amount of bait on a potato chip or other piece of food near the ant nest. Check it in an hour. If ants are crawling over it, the bait is fresh.

4. Wait to apply the bait until fire ants are actively foraging. The best time is mid-morning once the dew has evaporated or late in the afternoon on a hot day. The temperature should be between 65 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not apply baits when rain is forecast or if the ground is wet.

5. Use a hand-held seed spreader and apply the bait according to the directions on the label.

6. Apply a fast-acting broadcast bait such as indoxacarb and hydramethylnon in the spring if desired. Wait until the temperature is over 65 degrees Fahrenheit. If you apply when the temperature is too cold, the baits will be ineffective. They'll work in about three to six weeks but not last as long.

Individual Mound Treatments

1. Apply granular or dust treatments around the mound according to directions. Do not apply directly to the nest. Check the label on granular treatments to see if they needed to be "watered in." This is done by sprinkling 1 or 2 gallons of water on the mound without disturbing it. Dust and granular treatments tend to work slower than other mound treatments but are easier for home owners to use.

2. Pouring 2 to 3 gallons of boiling water onto the mound is another method used to kill fire ants. This option will kill ants about half the time. It will also kill any vegetation.

3. Contact a pest professional to apply a liquid mound drench if dusts do not work. Liquid drenches require special equipment and care to ensure they don't poison wildlife or get in the ground water.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid home remedies such as gasoline, chlorine bleach, club soda, grits, cornmeal and cleansers. They don't work and will simply cause the colony to relocate.

• You can apply broadcast baits in the summer if necessary if the temperature is below 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

References

• Texas Imported Fire Ant Research and Management Project: Frequently Asked Questions on Fire Ants
• Texas Imported Fire Ant Research and Management Project: Have You Two-Stepped With Fire Ants Lately?
• Virginia Cooperative Extension; Red Imported Fire Ant (RIFA); Dini Miller, et al.
• Radcliffe's IPM World Textbook; Imported Fire Ants; Timothy C. Lockley
• University of California IPM Online; Red Imported Fire Ant; L. Greenberg, et al.; August 2007