If you live in a place threatened with fire ant activity, you’ll need to take necessary measures to ensure the protection of your family and home. There are many proven DIY home remedies that you can use to control fire ants.
Using homemade bait, boiling water, dishwater liquid and citrus oil mixture, cinnamon oil, and boric acid are some effective home remedies to kill fire ants.
In this article, I’ll explain how to use these methods properly to achieve the best results. Read each method carefully and choose the one that suits you the best.
Home Remedies to Kill Fire Ants
If you have a fire ant infestation on your property, use one or more of the following methods to get rid of it.
1. Homemade Bait
Using bait is by far the most effective way to eliminate fire ants from an area. A bait is a substance that tastes and smells like food to attract fire ants but contains a toxic material.
Fire ants will take it back to their nest to share with the entire colony members, including the queen. The toxic material present inside the bait kills everyone and eliminates the entire colony.
For this method to work, you’ll need to spread the bait around the fire ant mound or in a place where you often see fire ant activity.
To make your own homemade bait, mix one teaspoon of boric acid or borax powder with 16 to 20 tablespoons of mint apple jelly. Boric acid is toxic to ants, and according to research, mint jelly or mint apple jelly acts as the most effective sugar ant lure.
You can also make a bait using four tablespoons of honey, four tablespoons of peanut butter, and one teaspoon of boric acid.
2. Boiling Water
Whether you have native ants or imported fire ants, you can use hot water to kill them. According to studies, pouring two to three gallons of boiling water on a fire ant mound will work 60 percent of the time. You can increase the effectiveness of this method by adding soap to the water.
However, the problem with using hot or soapy water is that it doesn’t eliminate the entire colony, especially if it fails to kill the queen. So, you might need to repeat this process multiple times to get rid of fire ants.
3. Dishwashing Liquid and Citrus Oil
Pouring the mixture of dishwashing liquid and citrus oil on fire ant mounds is another home remedy that you can use for fire ant control. According to the University of Florida, orange oil contains D-limonene, which is toxic to fire ants.
You need to mix six fluid ounces of dishwashing liquid and three fluid ounces of orange oil with one gallon of hot water. After that, pour the water on the fire ant mound. If you have multiple mounds in your yard, consider doubling (or even tripling) the amounts of the mixture.
Not only does this method kill the workers, but it can also kill fire ant queens. Many people suggest that you can use orange peels to kill fire ants but it’s not an effective method.
While you can place orange peels around fire ant mounds to kill workers searching for food, they won’t kill winged males, females, and most importantly the queen inside the nest.
4. Excavation
When you don’t have anything to kill fire ants, you can use the old-school method and dig up and remove their mounds. You’ll need a shovel and bucket to complete this process.
First, apply talcum or baby powder to the shovel’s handle and the inside walls of the bucket. It’ll prevent ants from reaching your hands through the shovel’s handle or escaping the bucket as you place the mound inside it.
Don’t forget to wear a pair of long boots to prevent fire ants from reaching your body. You can also apply talcum powder to your boots to further improve your safety.
5. Cinnamon Oil
Using cinnamon oil is another great way to get rid of fire ants. According to a study published in the International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, cinnamon oil contains cinnamaldehyde which works as an excellent inhibitor to control red imported fire ants.
You need to dilute cinnamon oil using fresh water at a ratio of one to 20 percent, depending on the severity of the fire ant infections. After that, you’ll need to pour the solution on the mound to kill the ants inside.
While you can also use cinnamon in powdered form, it won’t kill fire ants. However, it’ll keep them from coming back. You can use cinnamon powder as a preventative measure to keep these insects from entering a certain area like your living space.
6. Boric Acid or Borax
As mentioned in the bait method, boric acid or borax can eliminate fire ants effectively. You can mix boric acid or borax with boiling water and pour it on the fire ant nest.
If you don’t have boric acid, you can use diatomaceous earth for the same purpose, as it’s also a great substance to kill fire ants.
It’s important to note that boric acid, borax, or diatomaceous earth won’t kill the entire colony if used in the powdered form. They’ll just force fire ants to move away from your property.
What Not to Use to Try to Kill Fire Ants
You don’t want to waste your time on ineffective home remedies when fire ants threaten your family and home. There are many different fire ant home remedies that people suggest to kill fire ants but most of them fail to work.
Some remedies advocate pouring club soda on fire ant mounds, but research shows that it’s ineffective. Additionally, using molasses, vinegar, baking soda, aspartame, and plaster of Paris also can’t eliminate fire ant colonies.
You might also hear people suggesting that petroleum products, such as gasoline can kill fire ants. While these methods can work to some extent, they can kill grass and plants and are extremely dangerous as well.
So, if you want to kill fire ants fast, stick to the safe and effective methods discussed in this guide.
Final Words
The most effective home remedy to protect your family and pets against fire ant stings is to use the homemade bait method.
You can pair it with the boiling water technique to complete the two-step method and achieve the best results.
Regardless of the method you use, make sure that you stay at a safe distance from fire ant mounds or use long boots to prevent falling victim to their painful stings.