While native species of ants aren’t very aggressive or invasive, the RIFA (Red Imported Fire Ant) is a notoriously nasty insect. These red devils are commonly found in many southern United States and cause billions of dollars in agricultural losses each year.
The best way to get rid of fire ants is to use the proven two-step method. It involves the application of a bait product and using a mound treatment method like pouring boiling water or insecticide over the mound.
Other than this two-step method, there are also some other effective ways to get rid of these creepy crawlers. In this article, we’ll discuss those methods in detail to help you resolve your fire ant problem.
How to Identify Fire Ants
In order to get rid of fire ant infestations, you first need to know how to identify them. According to the National Fire Ant Eradication Program, you can identify these insects by the following features.
- Small, about 2 to 6 mm
- Copper brown-colored insects with a dark abdomen
- One nest can contain a range of sizes
Fire ants have three teeth located on the front of their heads but the southern fire ant species only has two. If there’s a mound in your outdoor area, especially after rain, and you see no opening, unlike other ants’ mounds, you might have a fire ant infestation. You can also use a stick to hit the mound in order to see if any fire ants come out.
Tried and True Methods to Get Rid of Fire Ants
The following are the most effective methods that you can use to eliminate fire ants.
Broadcast Fire Ant Bait
As mentioned above, using fire ant baits is the best way to get rid of these insects. If you have found a fire ant nest in your outdoor area, place the bait around it. You can also place the bait in places where you often see red ant activity.
The goal of using bait is to make worker ants gather it and take it to the nest. This is where ants, including the queen, eat, and it’ll kill them. You can use a commercially available fire ant bait, or create one yourself at home.
To make your own bait, mix a protein-based or sugary food with a material that’s toxic to fire ants. You can use orange/citrus oil and boric acid for this purpose.
Pour Boiling Water
Pouring hot water on the fire ant hill is one of the oldest methods to get rid of fire ants. While it’s extremely affordable, immediate, and safe, it’s not the most effective method. According to the University of Georgia, using boiling water will destroy 60% of the fire ant mounds.
Therefore, you should pour a large amount of boiling water on the mound. Plus, I also recommend you pair it with the fire ant bait method, discussed above, to get rid of fire ants completely.
Make sure that you quickly leave the area, as soon as you pour boiling water on the nest to protect yourself from fire ant bites.
Use Insecticides
Another common and effective way to treat fire ants is to use insecticides. You can find tons of chemical and natural-based products available in the market. However, I recommend you use an insecticide that’s specially designed for fire ants.
In addition, if you have a fire ant problem indoors, you don’t want to use a product designed for outdoors. In such a situation, you can use DE (diatomaceous earth), as it works as an insecticide and is safe for humans and pets in small amounts.
While you can also use diatomaceous earth to get rid of fire ants outdoors, it won’t generate the best results. You’ll need to use a more powerful solution to kill all the ants in a mound.
In this scenario, you can use Ortho Fire Ant Killer, to get rid of fire ants. It can kill these red devils within a matter of minutes and help you eliminate an entire colony. It can also prevent fire ants from settling again in the same outdoor space for a long time.
Use Soapy Water and Orange Oil
If you don’t have access to specially designed fire ant baits and insecticides, you can use household products to resolve this problem. You’ll need to mix 3 fluid ounces of soapy water with 1.5 fluid ounces of orange oil to destroy one fire ant mound.
Once you have made the solution, you’ll need to poke a hole in the fire ant mound and pour the solution into it. You can also add the same solution to a spray bottle and spray it over active fire ants to kill them.
The mixture of soapy water and orange oil will dissolve the protective waxy coating of fire ants and disrupt their cell membrane, which will desiccate them. It’s a tried and true method that can significantly decrease the number of active fire ant nests.
For other ideas see What Kills Fire Ants: 6 Home Remedies.
FAQs About How to Get Rid of Fire Ants
Can Salty Water Kill Fire Ants?
Yes, salty water can kill fire ants, but it’ll be a labor-intensive and time-consuming method. That’s because this method will kill fire ants only if they come in contact with salty water. So, you’ll need to pour salt water multiple times to destroy a single mound.
What’s the Most Effective Way to Get Rid of Fire Ants?
The most effective way to kill fire ants is to use the proven two-step method. First, you need to use a bait product to have workers gather it in the nest. The bait will kill them as they eat it. After that, you’ll need to pour boiling water or insecticide over the mound.
Final Words
Fire ants are much more aggressive and invasive than any other type of ants. Their stings are painful and they can also cause agricultural losses. However, it’s possible to get rid of them if you use the right methods.
I hope this guide has helped you understand the effective ways to get rid of fire ants from both indoor and outdoor areas. Use any of the methods, discussed above, that suits your preferences the best.
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