I have an acre of land and this summer I noticed the fire ants .?
Question:.are coming out in droves.
These ants are not friendly and bite visciously and are very smart! I have put fire ant bait in their mounds but they close them up (making me think it worked) and then they move the mounds elsewhere and continue to get busy.
Anyone have a sure fire procedure for eliminating these pests permanently?
Answers:
There is no current "permanent" solution for fire ants, unfortunately, because as you noticed, they migrate.
However, we have had GREAT success this year with "Over 'n Out" broadcast granules. The ants pick up a poison on them and bring it back to the mound, spreading it to the rest of the colony before they realize it. This kills the colony and queen before they can relocate.
Whereas last year we had like 10 mounds in our yard, I found only one spot yesterday while mowing (at the base of a tree, near our neighbor's yard). Our neighbors' yards all have at least 2-3 good-sized mounds, and I think they came over from next door.
It's kind of expensive, but it's supposed to be "once and done" for the season. I know we're going to use it every season.
http://www.gardentech.com/ono_facts.asp...
They are very smart. Anything you use will cause them to move so the treatment needs to cover the whole area (hard to do I know). I always used grits poured onto the mounds but still had to chase them around. Best of luck.
Amdro always worked for me. Just follow directions on the label. They take it into the mound and it kills the queen. An acre is a lot of land to treat though.
http://www.amdro.com/
spread a palm full of amdro in a circle around the mound-do not disturb the mound. do the same for the whole property at the same time
Drenches for Fireant’s
Mound drenches are insecticides diluted with water and then trickled down through the mound. They must come in contact with most of the ants, especially the queen, or they are not effective. Ants contacted by the drench die in less than 24 hours. It is best to use drenches in the spring and fall, when temperatures are between 70 and 85 F. In the hot summer months, ants stay deep in their mounds and are hard to reach with liquid insecticides.
Drenches should be used when there is a high risk of human contact or when Fireant’s have invaded home lawns, school grounds, parks and other areas frequented by people.
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