Getting rid of red (fire) ant beds????

Jake11375 · 05-18-06, 09:40

I've got a new yard I'm trying to get started and have a couple of huge red ant mounds I want to get rid of. They are an eye sore; big hills of red dirt in the middle of my green yard.

I've read a little about Diatomaceous Earth as a good organic product and Maxforce ant poison. Anyone have any experience with any of these products or something else that works. Thanks in advance for any help.

RTexasF · 05-18-06, 10:47

Having fought fire ants for many decades here in Texas I would advise you to bring in a pro. Make sure they do the ENTIRE yard each time. After 30 years of chasing them around the yard with various poisons and watching them reappear 20 feet away I finally coughed up for professional treatment and they were gone. Now the neighbors have them!!!!

Teutonics · 05-18-06, 10:52

Amdro has always worked well for me, but may take a week or two to see results. I also used Ortho Max Fire Ant preventer last year (apply once at beginning of season), and I didn't see a single fireant mound appear last year!

I was VERY impressed. Just applied again for this year....

Jake11375 · 05-18-06, 11:05

Thanks for the replies fellas. I'll try Amdro and the Ortho Max Fire and save calling the pros for last. I want to take the least expensive method first and work my way up.

AL-53 · 05-18-06, 11:16

I was watching the Home and Garden channel a few weeks ago..and it was on fighting fire ants....first they spread some product ..was a bait type product that they bring back to nest and kills colony..then they put in feeding stations they looked like a soup can..it had bait in it and they buried it to ground level..it had a cover on it so ants could get in and no pets...I believe it had a pheromone also to attract ants to it...it may have been by Ortho or Bayer

In 3 weeks all ants were dead..non existent...I do believe Amdro was one of the products the one they spread on lawn and applied directly to the ant mounds...if we had fire ants here I would do like they did..I was sold....

here is a link that may help

http://fireant.tamu.edu/research/arr...n_of_amdro.pdf

hope this helps

AL

SpoiledMan · 05-18-06, 11:33

Oh the power of the internet. Take a look here:
http://www.kill-fireants.com/fire_ant_control.htm

While I wasn't battling fire ants, it was like we were being invaded! I got some Termidor and haven't seen an ant in the house since last July/August. They just started to appear outside a couple months ago.

I shopped here:
https://www.pestcontrolsupplies.com/...edFireAnts.htm

RTexasF · 05-18-06, 05:43

I wish those products had been around during my battles with the little buggers! I'm still glad I called the pros in though. In the long run it was less than what I was spending on all the stuff that didn't work plus my time & labor. I'm glad the newer products worked out for all of you. Next time I'm going to buy two aardvarks!

Tasty · 05-18-06, 07:23

Last summer I applied a lawn fertilizer with fire ant repellent mixed in. No fire ants all growing season. Now that winter is done they seem to have wandered back to my yard. I will reapply and be victorious.

themightytimmah · 05-18-06, 07:41

At my old work (campus airport) down in Florida, we used "Mound Destroyer" (forgot the brand, we just bought it because it had more warnings on the back of the box than it's competitors), soaked it in with water then a week later put down fertilizer with fire ant preventer in it. It musta worked pretty well, cause we had a bunch of 5th graders coming in for a picnic the next week and no one got stung.

kpounds · 05-19-06, 04:20

No telling what topic's gonna turn up at Autopia.

Here's another product to add to the list, just found this posted on another forum. Saw an article also recommending it in the Augusta Chronicle. Sounds like the Amdro, Ortho or this one are good bets.

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To keep fireants AWAY for the season, use a product called "Over and Out." It's very persistant and you apply it ONCE PER YEAR.

The active ingredient is Fipronil. If a exterminator uses it, it's about $125 or more per application. "Over and Out" is half-strength of the professional version, but lasts just as long.

I haven't had ONE fireant mound in my yard for the last TWO years using it (unlike my neighbors). I don't have constantly watch my kids to make sure they don't accidently step in a mound of ants -- unlike I might at the park or at a friend's house.

You can get "Over and Out" at Lowe's for about $20, which will do 5000 sq ft.

Find out more here: http://www.gardening123.com/productinfo/over_n_out /default.asp