The appearance of fire ants or their nesting mounds can be worrying, but there are ways to get ants out of the yard and keep your family safe! Ant infestations can be tackled by baiting fire ants, raiding mounds, tackling the yard, or hiring a professional exterminator. Recognizing fire ants is also an important part of preventing ant stings and attacks from getting bigger.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Dealing with Fire Ants
Step 1. Sprinkle ant bait while these insects are foraging for food
Wait until nightfall when the weather is hot because at this time fire ants are usually actively looking for food. Place some bait near any ant mounds you encounter.
- Fire ant bait can be purchased at the farm shop.
- The fire ants will pick up the bait within 30 minutes.
- This fire ant bait is designed to work slowly which also targets the queen ant.
- Read the instructions on the bait package for the amount to use and the best location to place it.
Step 2. Use a mound treatment product within 7 to 10 days of using the bait
Sprinkle the mound crusher around the fire ant mound in a full circle. Follow all safety instructions listed on the product packaging.
- The mound crusher contains acephate, a slow-acting poison that kills fire ants. The ants will eat the poison and give it to the queen so that the entire colony will be slowly killed.
- This bump crusher doesn't work wet so you have to use it on a sunny day.
- This product only works on handled (circled) bumps. Repeat the process if you want to deal with other bumps.
- You can buy fire ant mound crushers at the farm shop.
Step 3. Use lawn treatment products for long-term pest control
Use a push spreader to sprinkle fire ant repellent powder all over the lawn. Spread it in as many areas as possible.
- This is the best method for dealing with many ant mounds spread over a large area.
- Lawn care can usually get rid of fire ants for a full season. This product can be found in farm shops.
- It is very important to use a push spreader to spread this product because you will find it difficult to do it by hand. If you don't have a push reader, you can rent or borrow it from a seed seller.
- Some lawn care products are still quite safe for native ant species.
Step 4. Hire a professional exterminator if the fire ant infestation continues for a long time
Contact an extermination service that specializes in dealing with fire ants. Professional exterminators have treatment ingredients that are not sold to the public, and these products may be more effective at dealing with stubborn fire ant attacks.
Part 2 of 2: Recognizing Fire Ants
Step 1. Recognize the differences between fire ants and other ant species
Fire ants are red or brown in color, varying in length (most other ant species are all about the same size). The length of the fire ant ranges from 3 to 6 mm).
In the US, fire ants can be found in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, California, Missouri, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, and Virginia
Step 2. Look for smooth, irregular mounds of soil in the yard
The mounds that appear in the garden yard are usually only a few centimeters high, but in remote places they can reach up to 45 cm. You will not find any holes in the surface of the mound.
- Mounds usually form within 2 to 3 days of heavy rain.
- Be careful not to disturb the mounds when you are doing quests. Fire ants can swarm and crawl onto vertical surfaces (eg legs) and sting.
Step 3. Treat fire ant stings immediately
Scrub the fire ants firmly with a cloth or hand. If you only experience pain and a rash appears, use over-the-counter medications to prevent infection. However, if a fire ant sting causes severe swelling, difficulty breathing, or chest pain, seek medical attention immediately.
Fire ants use their jaws to stick their stingers firmly into the skin and cannot be removed by simply splashing water
Step 4. Prevent fire ant stings in the future
If you suspect fire ants, put on your boots and tuck your pants into your socks. Check the entire surface of the ground when walking, and tell children about the dangers of fire ants.
- Also observe the ants looking for food, and their mounds.
- Warn everyone who comes into the house about the fire ants that are there so that they also take precautions.
Warning
- Read the instructions and safety warnings provided by ant repellent products before you use them. Make sure the product is safe for children and pets if necessary.
- Keep pets from getting too close to the fire ant mound.
