There are two kinds of Fire Ants in the US
• Native Fire Ant
• Red Imported Fire Ant (or RIFA)
Eradicating native ants is helping the RIFA spread
• Native fire ants are less aggressive
Fire ants are considered a beneficial insect
• Prey on ticks, fleas, termites, fly larva, cinch bugs, corn worms
• Aerate soil
Eradicate only when a danger to people and pets
What does not work:
• Baking soda
• Aspartame
• Grits, corn meal, corn starch
• Club soda
• DE, marginally effective, better on soft-bodied insects
Bad Ideas:
• Gasoline, diesel (illegal, dangerous)
• Bleach, ammonia, drain cleaner (pollutes soil, water)
• Boiling water (does not reach deep in the mound, takes 3-gallons to reach brood nest which weighs 25# – NOT safe to carry)
Orange Oil Mound Treatment
2-oz Orange oil concentrate (pure orange oil, not orange oil cleaner)
2-oz Horticultural molasses
2-oz Liquid dish soap (do not use an anti-bacterial brand)
2-gal Water or compost tea
Mix together in a bucket. Pour slowly around the perimeter of the visible mound, then continue to pour slowly as you move in a concentric circle to the center of the mound. This amount will treat two large mounds, or several smaller mounds. You will see piles of dead ants around the mound in just a few hours. One treatment is usually sufficient. Occasionally a second treatment is required a day or two later.
Earthworms that come in direct contact with this mixture will be damaged or killed, but there should not be many earthworms within the mound anyway since Fire Ants will prey on them.
Other options:
• Anti-Fuego (similar formula to the DIY mix)
• Beneficial nematodes – can be delivered in a compost tea with molasses
• Regular use of Arbor Gate Blend
