Fire ant mound killer. Got something that actually works?

[greybeard]

Dang fire ants are taking over my yard and my garden. Everything I tried just seems to make them move over about 6 feet. Anyone know of something that really does work besides a pouring a pint of gasoline down each mound?

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Before we moved here to a "no fireant problem", I would use Orthene powder for quick kill in spots and/or to put in containerized plants. For longer lasting "kill" we used Amdro biological granules around the mound. Takes a lot of applications to chase them off you property onto someone else's...lol. They're like the "Everready Bunny"...just keeps going and going...

There is always C-4... but probably need a grader to cover up the holes it leaves...lol :lol2:

 

[TexasBred]

Before we moved here to a "no fireant problem", I would use Orthene powder for quick kill in spots and/or to put in containerized plants. For longer lasting "kill" we used Amdro biological granules around the mound. Takes a lot of applications to chase them off you property onto someone else's...lol. They're like the "Everready Bunny"...just keeps going and going...

There is always C-4... but probably need a grader to cover up the holes it leaves...lol :lol2:

What I use too. Stinks to high heaven but have had good luck with it. (Orthene that is)

 

[M.Magis]

I've used the Amdro granules in my aunts yard. It seemed to work surprisingly well. I only visit a few times a year, so I can't say how often they need re-treated, but I do know that within 24 hours of treating, the ant activity nearly ceased.

 

[slick4591]

I spot treat the mounds with Orthene and keep diazinon granules out. Does a good job for me.

 

[cow pollinater]

Beneficial nemetodes. I don't have fire ants so I can't promise that they'll work for you on those but I've applied them through the irrigation system and cured red ants, black ants and leafcutter ants on a large scale that were ground dwellers. It was WAY more effective than trying to spot treat with chemical.

 

[john250]

Yep. Cold weather. Like sustained temps under 20F.

 

[tater74]

Had an entomologist at A&M tell me half Amdro and half Logic would do the job. I've also had people tell me that plain dry grits or corn meal will also get rid of them. I haven't tried that and I'm having a hard time believing they would work.

 

[Jogeephus]

Had an entomologist at A&M tell me half Amdro and half Logic would do the job. I've also had people tell me that plain dry grits or corn meal will also get rid of them. I haven't tried that and I'm having a hard time believing they would work.

Your gut is right. At best it might kill a few and they will move the bed. Orthene over an undisturbed bed is my favorite. Next day they are dead.

 

[Howdyjabo]

Its fun to watch when you feed them grits. they spend all day hauling them in and then spend the whole next day hauling them out.

 

[3waycross]

Its fun to watch when you feed them grits. they spend all day hauling them in and then spend the whole next day hauling them out.

I haven't noticed that the grits worked. What are they supposed to do.

 

[TexasBred]

Its fun to watch when you feed them grits. they spend all day hauling them in and then spend the whole next day hauling them out.

I haven't noticed that the grits worked. What are they supposed to do.

Nothing....the claim is that they eat them and they swell up inside them and die. Adult ants do not eat solids and if they could I doubt they would choose grits.

 

[greybeard]

I've used everything suggested except one I recieved via PM, and even using Orthene, I've never seen a dead mound with any dead ants in it. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but no matter what I use, I'll find the treated mound uninhabited a week later and a new one just a yard or so away--about the same size as the empty one. I don't want them to move, I want the suckers to die a miserable but quick death.

A man could get rich in this area, raising and renting out South American ant eaters.

 

[crimsoncrazy]

gasoline and a match.

 

[backhoeboogie]

I've tried about every chemical there is. Lost some battles but I have not given up. Will keep hitting them with all I can.

I get a sick satisfaction out of stirring up an ant pile and dumping a little DE in. The eventual dying quiver that comes with it is fun to witness. I built a piping rig, took the compressor and blew DE into all crawl spaces at the house. Works with scopions too.

 

[ga.prime]

I used some stuff you mix with water and broadcast spray. You only use one ounce of chemical per acre and it gets rid of fire ants for a whole year. I forget the name of the stuff but it works really good. Whatever it was cost $500 per gallon and you can't buy less than a gallon. I still have some but it's in an unlabeled container. Hope this helps. :lol2:

 

[TexasBred]

I used some stuff you mix with water and broadcast spray. You only use one ounce of chemical per acre and it gets rid of fire ants for a whole year. I forget the name of the stuff but it works really good. Whatever it was cost $500 per gallon and you can't buy less than a gallon. I still have some but it's in an unlabeled container. Hope this helps. :lol2:

Dam don't forget to put that in your will. Should last several hundred years. :lol2:

 

[JSCATTLE]

Gas kills them pretty good . That's about all I have found to get rid of them . I put a piece of 3/4 pipe down about a foot in the mound and put a funnel on to pour a little gas in and they die .

 

[greybeard]

I bought and tried a product called Surrender--contains 75% Acephate. Applied it yesterday after the sun came out.
Less than 1 day later, I have mounds full of dead fire ants. Not empty mounds--mounds with dead ones--thousands and thousands of dead ants.
Down side--it stinks like the dickens. I mean STINKS! I could smell it thru the unopened can when I was on my way home from the hardware store and had to stop and put it in the back of the truck. Had to hold the can down wind when I was spooning it out on the mounds. It ain't cheap, but it seems to work.
(not for crop areas, and I don't think I would use it where cattle could get to it, but that's just me.)

Did I say it stinks?

 

[jedstivers]

I bought and tried a product called Surrender--contains 75% Acephate. Applied it yesterday after the sun came out.
Less than 1 day later, I have mounds full of dead fire ants. Not empty mounds--mounds with dead ones--thousands and thousands of dead ants.
Down side--it stinks like the dickens. I mean STINKS! I could smell it thru the unopened can when I was on my way home from the hardware store and had to stop and put it in the back of the truck. Had to hold the can down wind when I was spooning it out on the mounds. It ain't cheap, but it seems to work.
(not for crop areas, and I don't think I would use it where cattle could get to it, but that's just me.)

Did I say it stinks?

That's the same a orthene, we use it by the 10lbs bags on cotton. Use lots of it every year on cotton and it taste as bad as it smells. It will take out the whole mound. It's cheep the way we buy it but the other day I had to have some for ants and I had to buy the little container that was labeled for ants and it is expensive that way. When we start back spraying cotton I will keep some for the ants so I don't have to buy the small container.