I’ve written about the dreaded fire ant before, but with these few rains that we’ve had the ants are out again. It seems that when it rains, it rains fire ants. There is nothing that completely get rid of those nasty creatures. All we can do is try.
New chemicals are coming out every year. My mother was old school, she put diesel on the mounds. It killed the ants but left a lot of dead spots around the yard. If you like to use organics, Fertilome has Come and Get It. It is very easy to use, just sprinkle on top of the mound. It is a bait that attracts fire ants and is readily taken back into the nest as food for the colony. Spinsad makes the ants, including the queen, lethargic and sick. I can just see the drunk fire ants running through the mound and passing out dead on top. Diatomaceous Earth is a natural contact insecticide that works by causing abrasions on the ants as they come in contact with the product, resulting in loss of fluids , then dehydration.
The old favorite, easy to apply, is surrender. The chemical name is Acephate. Acephate is very easy to use, just sprinkle from the can. The worst thing about Acephate is the smell. If the chemical doesn’t kill the ants, the smell will. Bayer makes a fire ant killer that contains B-cyfluthrin. It starts working immediately and not only kills the colony, but the queen also. Bifen is also a good insecticide. Bifen comes in a granule and a liquid. Use one ounce per gallon and spray or drench the mound. Bifen is also great to spray all over the yard for any type of insect. Bifen is also labeled to kill termites and a lot of other insects around and in the house. Almost every company makes its own bifen, as it is one of the best insecticides around.
The main thing about fire ants is to stay out of their way and that they are fairly easy to kill. Their is not a chemical yet that will completely get rid of them for good, but you can experiment with what we’ve got and see what is best for you. I like the Acephate best because it is so easy to use.
(Mitzi Thomas owns Minden Farm & Garden LLC. Watch for her column on Fridays in Webster Parish Journal.)