If you're thinking, "I don't!" Then, we have some good news for you. You don't have to deal with fire ants all summer. There is a way to significantly reduce and control fire ant activity in your yard. Today, we're going to talk about what works and what doesn't work to treat summer fire ants in your Denton yard.
What You Might Do When You Find Fire Ant Mounds
If you find fire ant mounds developing in your yard and those little red ants starting biting you or someone else in your family, there are a few things you might consider doing. We hope you don't. These ideas just do not work to control fire ants.
Pour Something In It
- You might think boiling water will cook those ants. But, apart from having back pain from carrying a large pot of scalding hot water into your backyard, and 3rd degree burns from splashing it on your hands as you pour it out, it is going to be an uneventful experience. This won't make those ants scream for mercy.
- Have you heard that club soda is an ingenious way to get rid of fire ants? Well, it doesn't work as advertised. It won't work its way down into the ant mound, release carbon dioxide, and cause all of those irritating ants to suffocate.
- There are lots of household cleaners in your home that will kill fire ants, but pouring them in mounds will not stop your problem. It will just make the ants move their mounds to another location in your yard.
- You might get desperate enough to try something foolish like pouring gasoline into fire ant mounds. This is not only ineffective, but also extremely dangerous.
Sprinkle Something On It
- Diatomaceous earth is often the go-to substance for natural pest control. It cuts the exoskeleton of tiny insects and causes them to die of dehydration. This can work on insects that get into your home, but sprinkled in your yard, diatomaceous earth will only wash away.
- Here is an ingenious idea; sprinkle grits on the fire ant mounds. When they eat the grits and drink water, the grits expand inside their tiny bodies and they blow up! Unfortunately, this is another method that doesn't work as advertised. Adult fire ants can't eat solid food. Rice doesn't work either—for the same reason.
Drive Them Away
Have you heard that sonic vibrators will make it difficult for fire ants to create tunnels in your soil, and will cause them to move to a yard where it is easier for them to do their tunneling? Sorry, it doesn't quite work this way. In fact, research has shown that fire ants will create mounds around sonic vibrators because they provide heat during the cold months.
What Works Against Fire Ants?
There are two methods that work best to control and eliminate fire ant colonies: broadcast bait and mound treatments. These can be used individually or as a two-step method. When appropriate products are selected and properly applied, fire ants can be completely eliminated from your yard. We can help you with this. At Adams Exterminating Company, we know what works to control and eliminate fire ant colonies. We can provide you with effective fire ant control services that provide the results you're looking for. If you live in Denton or the Dallas/Fort Worth area, reach out to us today and request a free pest control estimate. We'll send someone over to take a look at your fire ant problem and explain what will work to arrest them. When fire ants invade, we help folks take their backyards back!