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A few years ago I posted about those pesky fire ant mounds in my yard and in general, all over the southeast now...
Back then I posted about using a big ol' bag of fire ant poison from Lowe's, which can run into some serious $$ for a moderate sized yard.
So I just learned from a friend-of-a-friend to just use Borax, the laundry detergent from any grocery. I bought a 4lb box of pure Borax for $8 and it works like a charm. To use it I stir up the active mound with a small handheld garden shovel until they're swarming like crazy then just hand sprinkle the Borax until the entire thing is covered. It's completely harmless to my skin but dissolves their little exoskeletons. The mound is dead within a few hours. This stuff works great and is super affordable.
One fire ant sting is bad enough, dozens can really hurt and hundreds to thousands of stings can potentially kill you. So, posting as a public service announcement for anyone else dealing with these little creatures from hell.
Edited by - banjoy on 06/09/2023 07:29:44
Wonder if the borax-hauling mules are the natural enemy of fire ants.
Try regular ole Tide laundry detergent. The original formula not only will it deter the fire ants (deter is the best you can actually do to these invaders) it will rid your lawn of chinch bugs. And added bonus it smells good. Now before you guys all run out and buy the existing stock I need to do some 401k tweaking.
I never had seen any of these growing up and only became keenly aware when I moved back to SC and got stung.
Fire ants didn't exist in the US until they were inadvertently introduced in the 1930s-ish, coming in on cargo ships. Al least lord google says so. Since then they've made their way around. Hoo boy, have they ever.
I suppose the borax mules could stomp them one at a time but that would take a while. But I'm open to anything that might work.
I wonder if DE (diatomaceous earth) would do the same thing. Microscopically the rough ragged edges of the DE scratch the exoskeletons of the ants (and roaches) causing them to dry out and die. Harmless to pets.
quote:
Originally posted by Jbo1I wonder if DE (diatomaceous earth) would do the same thing. Microscopically the rough ragged edges of the DE scratch the exoskeletons of the ants (and roaches) causing them to dry out and die. Harmless to pets.
I had never heard of this, and it seems affordable too and easily available. Thanks for the info!
Been wondering what to do with that box of Borax sitting that's been forever sitting on the shelf in the laundry area.
I don't have fire ants per se, but ants nonetheless.
quote:
Originally posted by Jbo1I wonder if DE (diatomaceous earth) would do the same thing. Microscopically the rough ragged edges of the DE scratch the exoskeletons of the ants (and roaches) causing them to dry out and die. Harmless to pets.
DE will work on yellow jacket nests, so I would not be surprised if it would work on Fire Ants. It might not be as effective as I am not sure that it would make its way to the queen which is important to kill. For DE, I read that you need to use "food grade" for it to be effective.
Edited by - BanjoLink on 06/09/2023 07:57:22
FOOD GRADE diatomaceous earth??
FOOD grade DIRT??
I sure hope Ronald McDonald is unaware of this ingredient option!!
We have some sort of ants [presumably not fire ants] in the lawn every summer, but this year seems worse than usual. Fwiw, last year we used Ortho brand Ant Bgon Max [$20/lb. with a high proportion of diatomaceous earth] and it seemed to work okay. Used it again this year [don't see any best-before date] and it's doing diddly squat. C'est la vie?????
But we'll probably try a home remedy (?) ^^ or two. Thanks.
I'm thinking a mixture of gasoline and diesel fuel poured on and then set alight might work.... but as we live in town, it's conceivable that somebody might disapprove. 
Edited by - Owen on 06/09/2023 08:49:48
The main difference that I can see between fire ants and regular little ants is, regular ants form a nice line when they are on the march. Fire ants just swarm in every direction, thousands all at once if you disturb their mound. It's amazing to watch.
Their sting -- even one sting -- definitely gets your attention and one ant can sting you over and over. Get more than a few on you and it's something you won't forget!
Well here's one innovative solution. I guess this artist decided if you can't beat 'em, kill 'em and make art. Seems a little overkill (literally) to me, but hey, maybe I could make a living at this
quote:
Originally posted by OwenWe have some sort of ants [presumably not fire ants] in the lawn every summer, but this year seems worse than usual. Fwiw, last year we used Ortho brand Ant Bgon Max [$20/lb. with a high proportion of diatomaceous earth] and it seemed to work okay. Used it again this year [don't see any best-before date] and it's doing diddly squat. C'est la vie?????
But we'll probably try a home remedy (?) ^^ or two. Thanks.
I'm thinking a mixture of gasoline and diesel fuel poured on and then set alight might work.... but as we live in town, it's conceivable that somebody might disapprove.
They will disapprove ...... and it will work ....... fast!
quote:
Originally posted by banjoyWell here's one innovative solution. I guess this artist decided if you can't beat 'em, kill 'em and make art. Seems a little overkill (literally) to me, but hey, maybe I could make a living at this
Seems easy enough! Multiply that times a hundred and I can be finished sometime in September ....... just in time for the craft show circuit!
That was neat!
>>Their sting -- even one sting -- definitely gets your attention and one ant can sting you over and over. Get more than a few on you and it's something you won't forget!<<
Living in Southeast Alabama I can say that I have never lived without the threat of fire ants. They are correctly named. Remember when about 11 years old accidentally sat down in a bed of them and didn't realize it until they started stinging me. I came out of my shorts, not drawers, in a hurry, even in the presence of a female cousin. They became prevalent in the deep south in a hurry because of the ground being plowed and softened by the agricultural culture of this area. They don't thrive much to the north due to the cold weather. One sting can raise a welt one you and will itch like crazy for a good while. A cousin of mine, who was a farmer, did note that they really kept bugs and other pests out of field crops that he planted due to the ants foraging far and wide looking for food. Just had to be careful when plowing due to digging up their mounds. There used to be some funny YouTube videos regarding people against fire ants. A part of life around here.
Bobby
Regular line ants will run for cover if you disturb them, they run away from you and want nothing to do with people. Fire ants attack, and I mean, they really go for you if you bother them at all, and they seem easily bothered.
In years past I loved walking barefoot in the yard, that's not even something I can consider anymore around here. Too risky.
quote:
Originally posted by banjoyWell here's one innovative solution. I guess this artist decided if you can't beat 'em, kill 'em and make art. Seems a little overkill (literally) to me, but hey, maybe I could make a living at this
That's ah lot of cerosafe..
About fire ants poison. You may want to try a different brand than what you used last year or even earlier this year. Rumor has it these SOB get immune to the stuff and if you change on them the new worker ant has not built up a tolerance to the new brand. We have over and out, orthene the white powder that smells nasty and another brand not a powder like orthene.
I use borax to kill roaches....but for ants I kill the queen, her royalty and soldiers by providing them poison food.
For around the house I use taurus sc (generic version of termidor). This stuff works way too good. Not only have I never seen a termite or ant in my house, but no other insect either.
Amdro. Just put half a teaspoon under a bottlecap or small flowerpot next to their mound. A week later, theyve killed all the egglayers. Amdro works darn good.
I mostly enjoy the gas and match solution but it rarely works in a permanant way, but is fun to watch!
Too many of the fire ant killers require it to be watered in. That's great if they are near your house but my field is 500' away and I don't have 500' of hose to water the flakes into the mound. Sometimes I use one, maybe Out and Away, that does not require water, but like the others it is expensive. As mentioned here, you do not eradicate fire ants, but rather try and control them.
Sorry I didn't read through the whole thread but borax mixed with fine sugar is my go to indoor ant killer.
Borax is coarser than the sugar so I put it in a bowl & use the back of a spoon to grind it all up fine.
I put little piles on pieces of paper & put it where they can get it but not in my way.
I get some satisfaction diatomaceous earth goes in the cracks of hard shelled bugs . Like Jbo1 said It's fossilized krill. Under a microscope it looks daggers, barbed harpoon points & corkscrews. Kind of like if you rubbed fiberglass in all YOUR cracks!
When I was at my daughter and son-in -laws home in Florida a few years ago, I was walking down a highway near their home when I came upon a mound that looked like an ants nest, so just for something to do, I kicked it over. Jazuss, I've never seen anything move so fast, the ants poured out of there like corn syrup from a bottle, I just kept walking, hoping they didn't see which way I went. Glad we don't have them here.
And on a more sadistic note fire ants not only bite but they sting. They bite to hold on and sting for the coup de gras. However you spell that funny word...?
Edited by - 5B-Ranch on 06/10/2023 06:47:45
Hold ... The ... Phone!! IMPORTANT UPDATE: Our ants aren't fire ants. Last year the diatomacious earth seemed to work pretty well ... but minimal effect this year. So I gave them a couple of "three bears*" applications of Borax, and that seems to have worked. But the grass in those <1 ft. diameter spots appears to be dead ... at least deader than the dormant/dry stuff around it. However, I expect the grass to gradually creep back in.
[Our summer has been drier than normal, and I figure this might have slowed the Borax being filtered (?) downward through the topsoil?? Would it have been different with more water? I dunno.]
* = sprinkled "just right," not too heavy, not too light.
Edited by - Owen on 07/31/2023 18:19:03
I was stung by fire ants so many times on a regular daily basis as a kid that I’m immune to them now. We’d have stick fights and rock wars… and pretend like the ant beds were booby traps. I remember an older cousin of mine cornered me and scooped up a handful of fire ant bed and jammed it in my mouth. I’ll never forget that.
Been a long time since I’ve been bit….not in a hurry as an adult to feel it again. :) good luck.
I always dump a cup of borax in with my dirty work clothes…seems to help get the grime off a little better.
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