Tips for Getting Rid of Fire Ants
It is a fact that fire ants are found all over the world and all over the world they are considered to be pests. If you find these ants have gotten your life confused, you can use commercially available chemical pesticides to rid your property of these fiery biters there are also some more organic methods you can try to get rid of fire ants. Here are 6 tips for helping you get rid of the fire ants.
Aspartame
Aspartame is not only bad for humans but deadly for ants as well. Just sprinkle aspartame around the mound and the workers will take the sweet delight into their mounds as food. As they just love sugary substances, the queen and the rest of the inhabitants will devour the aspartame and die.
Organic Fire Ant Bait
Usually, the organic fire ant bait contains spinosad as the active ingredient. Spinosad-based fire ant baits are relatively fast-acting and should give results within two to three weeks. Depending on where you live and the level of control you expect, you may need to treat two to three times per year.
Corn Meal
You could sprinkle corn meal around the mound. The ants will eat the corn meal and it will expand in their stomach and kill them.
Diatomaceous Earth
This is also known as DE. It can be found in most feed stores. Just sprinkle DE on and around the mound. DE is made from tiny fossilized algae and water plants. It is a very fine powder and can cause damage to your lungs so a mask should be worn when spreading it. It works by literally cutting the bodies of the insects and killing them and can also cause cuts in your lungs, hence the mask. It is effective against a number of insects including fleas. We put it on our dogs when they appear to have a flea infestation. One problem with DE and fire ant control is the ants sometimes detect it and just avoid contact.
Boric Acid
Just mix equal parts of boric acid, sugar and flour and sprinkle around the mound. The ants will eat the mixture and take some back to their queen affecting the entire colony. Within a couple of days they should all be little brown balls on the ground.
Orange Oil
Orange oil is extracted from the peels of oranges and contains a chemical called d-limonene which is deadly to fire ants and many other insects. It eats through their exoskeleton and causes them to dry out. You can purchase orange oil in many gardening centers or nurseries. Just dilute 1/4 cup of orange oil in a gallon of water and add a dash of dish liquid. The dish liquid helps the solution to stick. Some recommend a tablespoon of molasses as well but it is not necessary. Once you have your concoction, spray the entire gallon over the mound using a garden sprayer. Be very careful not to disturb the mound as that may allow some worker ants to escape the mound and begin a mound elsewhere.
2 Responses to Tips for Getting Rid of Fire Ants
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Ok! Those unwanted insects are totally maddening. Thank goodness, they can certainly be annihilated.
You increase some very attention-grabbing points, thanks for taking the time to put in writing this post. I’ll present my pal this as well to get his opinion. Thanks.