DH bought a bag of the stuff that's supposed to kill fire ants from Lowes but even after two applications they are still as lively as ever :x Got bit by one yesterday,that thing didn't want to let go of my hand but seemed to have dug itself right into the skin,ouch!!
We use the stuff that you poor in a circle around the hill and it works well. Amdro, I think is the name. It is a bait that they take inside. We did have to chase them around a bit, but eventually they went away. I like to pour a little clorox in the hill and make a slurry...:twisted: When I got bit last year, it took 2 weeks to heal! Benadryl and witch hazel on it should help! Good luck...they are mean little buggers.
Andros did not work for us either We tried that Andros (sp?) stuff and it did not phase our fire ants. Based on advice from a friend in S. Ga who had been dealing with this monster ants for years, we bought a small container of something called Bengal Fire Ant Killer and put it on the mounds. Less expensive, and did the trick. I think you can get it at lowes. http://www.bengal.com/fireant.htm If all else fails. Call an exterminator. they have a program where they will retreat until they are gone.
Somebody told me (yep....here we go with another fire ant remedy) that if you'll pour club soda on their mound it will suffocate them. Snopes casts doubt on the theory, but hey it might be worth a try. The thought there is that the carbon dioxide replaces the oxygen in their nest. If nothing else, I just keep on pestering them. I feel somewhat empowered knowing the little buggers have to move their entire colony on account of me.
First question would be are you sure they are fire ants? Good info can be found here on fire ants. http://www.controlfireants.com/ Reason I ask about are you really sure they are fire ants is due to this quote.
I wondered because she only got bit by one - any time I have accidentally encountered fire ants, I've had a dozen or more stings.
I've seen mounds smaller than a 12" diameter that had some aggressive ants in it. Perhaps in some areas they build mostly underground with little up top. The largest mounds I've ever seen was at Seymour Johnson AFB. We went there for an airshow a few years ago and I was amazed at how wide and tall those fire ant mounds were.
incidentally....since they outlawed diazinon I've had great luck with this stuff. http://www.lowes.com/pd_200943-316-...pl_Lawn+Insect+Control_4294857398_4294937087_
Going by this picture,ours are indeed fire ants,they've got the same brownish looking bodies down to the darker looking ends.
I was lucky to notice it right away this time compared to last year where I got about 3-4 at the same time
Ortho Orthene works like a charm. It has a key active ingredient that works on fire ants. It is a dust, similar to Seven, but you just sprinkle it out on the mound while they are inactive.
I work for a pest control company, if anyone is tired of doing it themself PM me. we also provide fire ant service for pastures and fields. What fire ants do is they bite and sting at the same time making it hard to just knock them off. I have been seeing a lot of carpenter ants this year as well they have a nasty bite as well
