We all know that a call to your favorite pest control company can net you some quality cures to the fire ants that are taking up residence in your yard. 

Here are 5 Things that my listeners swear kill fire ants for them without calling the pros*…

  • Sprinkle grits around the mound.  The ants will eat them, the grit will expand, and the ant will die.  The professionals say this is mostly bogus.  No word on whether cheese grits are more effective…
  • Scoop into a fire ant mound and place that on another fire ant mound.  The thinking is that the fire ants will wage war on each other and exterminate themselves.  Experts say this is bogus.  In fact, the odds that you are scooping the same mound on top of each other is great.
  • Hot water.  Pour hot water on mound.  This either drowns or scalds them, but either one is good by me.  The pros say this actually works.  As does using boric acid like you would find in the old 20-Mule Team Borax.
  • Pour gasoline on the mound.  For me this makes more sense than hot water, especially if you ignite it after you pour.  Warning, duh, this is not too safe, not to mention bad for your yard.  The professionals agree that it is not the brightest move to make and encourage you not to do it.  See 'hot water'.
  • Lawn mower.  My favorite.  Ok, be honest here – who hasn’t taken pride in mowing a fire ant bed?  Again, the pros say while it is fun, it is not the most effective way to kill the colony, not to mention the flying fire ants you have now created.

If you have a home remedy or a favorite way to rid your yard of fire ants I would be eager to hear it.  Send it to me at [email protected]

 

*there is no reason to believe that any of these home remedies will kill fire ants now, for the long run, or in the future other than a show listener has stated that they have had some success with them.  Call them home remedies, wives tales, or wishfull thinking, but the chance they won't work is great for you.  Some even are dangerous.  I have found that things that will kill fire ants can also kill me, or others, so take with a grain of salt.  A grain of salt will not kill off a mound of fire ants, but it will give them high blood pressure.  Basically this is for your reading enjoyment only.  It may make you go "Hmmm...." but that is the extent that you should try some of them.  Good luck - lemme know what your home remedy is.