Fire Ants

An American In Turkiye

[An American in Turkiye]

Anyone have a tried and true way of killing fire ants? I bought some white, nasty powder from Ortho and all it did was make the ants move their mound. After 5 attempts, I poured boiling water on them. Killed them all, along with a patch of my grass. Any suggestions would be welcomed.

[Don Simmons]

I used to use a magnifying glass on a sunny day to burn them.

I takes time...but it's fun and ecologically and economically sound.

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

Yup. Or a solution of orange oil. I kinda like diggin in the mound with my bare hands until I can find and kill the queen.

[sarasota]

Boric acid, available in most states in the Pharmacy. Sprinkle it and they'll carry it back to their nest where they'll try to remove it in their cleaning attempts and it will poison them. Several applications will be necessary, especially after each rain.

[WestTexasWend]

"I theorized that sugar ants crossbred with fire ants, neutralizing them."

...or, perhaps, carmelizing them! (yummy)

[Redcloak]

Do you have access to a sizable quantity of plutonium?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

I usually hit them with a hammer and squish them.

I prefer a magnifying glass on a sunny day.

[Hang'emAll]

I concur Over n' Out does work well.

I've used boiling water also on mounds sometimes takes 2 pots to take them out.

Also effective is to get Sevin Dust from hardware store, usually used on tomatoes etc. Dust a circle around the mound but not on it. They crawl thru the dust and die by the next day.

[Hang'emAll]

I concur Over n' Out does work well.

I've used boiling water also on mounds sometimes takes 2 pots to take them out.

Also effective is to get Sevin Dust from hardware store, usually used on tomatoes etc. Dust a circle around the mound but not on it. They crawl thru the dust and die by the next day.

[Revelation 911]

bad news if molten lead hits any groundwater

be careful

[itsamelman]

Try this.

[DarthVader]

Bury a liberal demoRAT up to his neck near the nest and cover his/her head with honey. The little beasties will swarm there and die from the poison as they eat the RAT.

[Ichneumon]

i know these things because my son just moved into a cockroach infested rat trap in Richmond VA

Have him find a store that carries (or ship him) some of this stuff:

It's 2-3 times more expensive than most other household insecticides, but it's worth it because it WORKS. It's the only bug spray I swear by, instead of at.

They also have a Bengal "Gold" variety, which contains all the same ingredients but also adds growth-inhibitor hormones to handle insects that might have built up an immunity to other compounds.

Come to think of it, they also have a fire ant treatment. If it's anything like their roach spray, it might be worth looking into.

They have a website at http://www.bengal.com.

[Who dat?]

I wouldn't waste time trying to kill them unless they get in the house or something. Ours stayed outside.

We would always catch little sand sharks and cut them up for bait. We'd toss the head in a fire ant hill and they'd pick it clean in a couple of weeks. Works for mice/rat heads, squirrel heads, snake heads...

Just pointing out something they're good for if you have an interest in shark jaws or skull collections. That's about the only thing I've found them good for so far.

[OrioleFan]

When I lived up north of DFW (Flower Mound, TX), I heard a county extension agent in Fort Worth once say that Cream of Wheat works, because they take it into the mound and feed it to the queen. Any moisture causes the ant to explode.

[I still care]

Well actually, I have a product I just think is the best insecticide I've ever used. It's called Maxforce, and the company has the same name.

It consists of hydramethylnon, in a powder bait product. It kills cockroaches, silverfish, and lots of ants - pharoah, carpenter, fire etc. It's the finest ant killer I've ever seen. They seem to think it's really tasty, and whenever I've used it, the ants have been gone within a day or two.

The trick is to put in down in a place they can easily reach without alarming the mound.

I had a major carpenter ant infestation in my side door that I bought all kinds of products for, and put this down first. I ended up never using anything else. The next day the ants were absolutely gone, and I never saw them again. I actually lend it out to my friends whenever they have ants, they are obviously fans also.

It might not be too easy to find - I got it from a "bug store" down here in Florida. It comes in a little canister. Good luck.

[sinkspur]

You a Howard Garrett fan?

[AngryJawa]

Fresh human urine direct from the tap.

This must be administered under the mid-day sun while singing "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen. 8^)

[RVN Airplane Driver]

Howard Garrett is a very knowledgable Texas landscape specialist. The details are: 1. Spray the infested area or site with any compost tea, orange oil and molasses mix. Garden-Ville Auntie Fuego and GreenSense Soil Drench are two commercial products. 2. Drench the worst mounds with the same products that contain orange oil, molasses and compost tea mixture. 3. Treat the site with beneficial nematodes. These living organisms and must be used before the date deadline on the package. If they are dead they won’t work. They can be applied with a hose end sprayer or a large watering can. 4. Go organic. Fire ants don’t like the competition. The biodiversity of microbes, insects, and other animals is the best long term control of fire ants and many other pests. NOW...after wasting your timedoing that and getting no results and being environmentally proper, go get some diesel fuel and kill the nasty little buggers. (Pretend they are Democrats..makes it more fun

[Frank_Discussion]

Nuke 'em from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.

;)

[Frank_Discussion]

GMTA!!!