Fire Ant Mounds in Southern US Iris Bed

Hi, So there have always been fire Ants in North and South Carolina, but this is the first year I have ever had Fire ants on my property, let alone in any flower beds. I understand this is mostly a problem in Texas and Louisiana, but I guess maybe they are becoming a problem working their way up to other Southern States. I noticed one mound, not that big, in some lavender sweet iris near my bird bath in late September, and because it was so close to the bird bath, did not want to use stong insecticides or kerosene on the mound, as I have lots of clumps of sweet iris on my hill in another part of the yard anyway, and wasnt real worried about the iris yet, other than drowning the ants with a hose of water and then trying to remove the wet mound so they dont bite the birds. This ended up as just a temporary fix..This didnt work. its back, but 2 more large ones have emerged in my Indian Chief clumps in my front yard, that are not yet realy reallyl bad, but bad enough that, just today, live ants are coming out right now in mid January.

Are their any Southern Gardeners, or Gardeners that have experienced Fire Ant mound problems in beds that could recommend something to get red of the fire ants now while its early before bloom season, and that probably would not stifle the Indian Chief and shock it so it doesnt bloom in May. lots of people drive by and get much enjoyment from those indian chief and pink historics in the front. I am on a staightaway between two cities. and It would be sad if I had to put something so toxic on these two large fire Ant mounds in the front that they dont bloom this Year. Anyones Suggestion or Helpful ideas.. large or small.. would be Much Welcomed and Greatly Appreciated. Sandra

Edited to Update

So I dont know how I missed this thread from 2013 entitled 'Fire Ants Help' http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1338235/?hl=fire+ants ; but heres a link for anyone else where its warm enough today to observe a fire ant emergence.

It suggests: Alcahol, Smoke And Controlled Fire, and Spectricide No Odor Fire Ant Killer, which is supposed to contain permythrin which they said should be quick acting and I would imagine not hurt plants?. I think I might try that, but still any other suggestions welcome.

This message was edited Jan 14, 2014 5:12 PM

I've used Amdro Fire Ant Bait - seems to work pretty good. Not sure about this time of year but if they are out they should take the bait back to the colony and the queen.

If you have chickens you might read this (all of the comments).

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/54463/beware-of-amdro-fire-ant-killer

Thanks So Much! no chickens, but I have alot of birds and wildlife, and a chihuahua with liver problems so If I use this Id have to use it extremely sparingly and maybe do it now before birds start nesting and cover the two mounds with something so no animals get into it, and gloves and face mask I guess too after reading that thread about that women who scrorched her sinuses and throat lining and lungs with this stuff mwahaha. I think ill start with the grits that the fire ants supposed to eat and it is supposed to blow up in their stomach, along with some of this no odor spectricide and if that doesnt work try this Amdro Ant bait You recommend very carefully, as I certaily dont want to harm any animals or beautiful song birds in exchange for viewing my Iris.

I really doubt grits is going to prove effective. I never had to use gloves or mask since I was outdoors and only using a small amount at a time. The lady who said she burned her sinuses was working at a garden center who unpacked this. It makes me wonder if there was a torn bag of it and it sounds like she was working in a confined space.

Yeah I agree, the use of grits does not sound like it would be very effective to me either, atleast on the 2 fairly large mounds in the front i have. I guess ill try the amdro sparingly. Its winter not much wildlife yet.

Can I just jump in here to suggest Bayer
http://www.bayeradvanced.com/insects-pests/products/fire-ant-killer-dust

I've tried many, many products. Spectracide granules worked well, but never really got rid of the entire ant mound population. Ortho granules with just about the same effect.
Sprinkle the Bayer to cover the mound, with or without water, and they are taken care of within days! I even sprinkle it around windows/doorways when the sugar ants are getting in, and those are taken care of just as well.

Also, the Bayer dust is not to be used around any plants you might eat, vegetables etc.

With all mounds I find, I do my best not to disturb them. When they are disturbed, you have escapees and those ants build new mounds, or simply move the present mound to another location.

This message was edited Jan 15, 2014 7:09 PM

Thanks, this friday im going to go to a couple major hardware stores and check and see everything they carry and whatever I get I will kept this thread updated to what I use. that makes sense that dusturbing the mound makes the escapes move else where, because the first mound I ever had was coming up my drive way only about 12 -15 feet from the 2 big ones now in my front yard iris bed. I tryed kerosening it and stomped it and removed it with shovel so it doesnt bite me or my little dog I walk thier, instead it agitated them, the next day my son went down to get the mail, he stood their close to where the mound was, and new angry ants pouring out of where the mound was climed up his sneakers and bit his ankles and legs bad before he got back up to the house to strip them off. these things are really nasty, not wanting to use toxic things that can hurt animals or birds at this point I think isnt 100 % feasable, because these ants can seriously harm people animals and birds as well. thanks everyone for your help. Sandra

Well kerosene is kind of toxic, don't you think? I know I've seen people pour gasoline down a yellow jacket hole but I prefer the wasp and hornet spray so I can stay back 15 feet or so and get everyone that comes out of the hive. I think fire ant nests go several feet deep in the soil and branch out so pouring gas or kerosene may kill the ones in that area but you might miss 50% of the hive and the queen. I've not had a problem with my dogs bothering with the ant bait either but anything is possible.

I agree on their bites - they are nasty and the bites often get a small infection as well. Try not to scratch if bitten though since it often makes the bite mark even worse.

Your Right! Kerosene and Gasoline are toxic, but I shoveld off the top of the mound later that day, I didnt leave it ,or put it on the mulch pile, and also I figured much that of the Kerosene or Gasoline fumes evaporite. but you are right.. I guess when your discuss animal friendly things,.. kerosene in the same pragraph is not right up their on the safe and eco friendly list mwahaha :-) tommorow is pay day so ill keep everyone informed on what I get, but both the amdro and the bayer, both sound pretty decent and effective. like you said though, these mounds probably go real deep in the ground, so killing the queen and the ones deep in the nest, probably with the bait might be the best and final solution.

So went to the hardware store and both the Amdro fire bait an the bayer bait were pellet granules and I thought birds might try to eat them, so I saw Bayer made a liquid bait but it was jumbo size and cost like 29 dollars, and figured might not sink down through the nest. I found a bait made by spectracide that came with 6 bait stakes. they are green spikes that you put in the main holes of the mounds and they are supposed to also poison the queen, except this bait is not like the pellets that animals/birds can eat, and it says its supposed to be fast acting and last 3 months. if this doesnt work im going to come back and get the Bayer liquid bait and the amdro pellet bait and go on the war path

As you can see from the first two pics even the spectricide bait stakes have some cautionary warning about the safety of the product. but were not as bad as the pellet bait ones so starting here. the close-up of the ants came out blurry sorry. As soon as I put the first stake in the first mound, they started crawling up on top of it. Even in January 16th, 32 degree weather, and in the evening when there supposed to not be active. glad im starting this now and not in Summer. if their this bad now cant image what they would be like if I waited till then.

This message was edited Jan 17, 2014 6:43 PM

Here in the north, I don't have the problem of fire ants, but there are plenty of ants in all sizes. My question is does Bayer take care of all ants? If not, any suggestions.

try this!


http://digg.com/video/what-you-get-when-you-pour-molten-aluminum-into-an-ant-hill

My Ant Bait Stakes have all worked! fire ants are all dead and gone, and all that is left of the mounds is collapsed sand and dirt. patted and tamped it down with a flat shovel, and you cant even tell where they were.

That's good news Mikesmom! I clearly need to try out those spikes!
I do notice the ants appear to build up resistance to granules, so I switch brands until Bayer worked magic.

FrillyLily - love that video!

Blooma - yes the Bayer powder seems to work on most crawling insects. I have this idea that if something kills a fire ant, wasp or cockroach then it'll kill most other things haha

for sure! I don't think hardly anything will kill cockroaches lol
I am battling termites in my HOUSE! seems like nothing kills them. Even my yard is infested and sad to say I plan on giving it a nice dose of poison come spring. :( In the past I tried to stay as organic as possible and rarely used the big guns, but at our new place the termites are so bad that if I lay a board out on the ground for just a few DAYS-there will be termites in it. Termites in the mulch and even in some of the LIVE trees!! We cut two trees down because we just didn't want them in their locations and after getting them down and into them-- we found termites! There were several old stumps, rotten landscape timbers ect around the property when we bought it and we gradually getting all of those out!

That is what termites do - eat dead wood and that is fine for the great outdoors but you don't want them eating the wood in your house.

Call an exterminator for termites in your house. Doing it yourself is probably very risky once they are inside.

We purchased the Sentricon (passive system) from our exterminator which covers treatment if they get inside the house. Apparently we had them in the house before the system was installed so that didn't kill what was already there. I showed our exterminator the flying "ants" in the basement. He called the company and had the termite guy come out within a couple of days where he drilled holes every 12 inches along the wall in the basement, upstairs in the garage, and even our brick front porch where the termites were at or probably at and pour in the termiticide and then seal all the holes. It is amazing how they deep they can go (our basement walls at the front of the house are at least 8 feet and I don't know how thick they are but any crack is a potential entry. They had come in at the bottom of one corner and at a hole in the floor in another room where a wooden level stake was left when they poured the floor (after they had consumed the wood, then it was another pathway in - the house is over 9 years old so it took a long time for them to get in). Then all your studs and joists are food plus anything that is cardboard or wood.

oh yeah, we have an exterminator and have had to replace some wood. Still working and working at the whole mess. They ate the paper off the back of some sheetrock.

Fire ants are back now that the weather has warmed up..going to try the liquid amdro fireant killer. I have to mix one part this with 20 parts water its so strong. if this doesnt work, I dont know what else will. might have to call an exterminator after the irises are done blooming.

Give Bayer powder a try!! I used mine just the other day! It is SO fast, just be careful when sprinkling on the mound since it is just like baby powder.

The most important thing (to me) about fire ants is this: Out of sight NOT out of mind - they are very smart and I'm like a hawk anytime I'm in the yard.

Sorry to say that I don't remember how my XDH and I got rid of fire ants in Austin. I know it had to have been something organic. And when I think of it, I'll come back and update this.

The point I want to make, however, is about products like Amdro and similar poisons. When you apply them it will appear that you have destroyed all of those nasty little boogers. But what really happens is that they pack up and move to another part of your yard. It's something that you don't see happening b/c it's, well, underground. Later you'll think you've got a new batch. Maybe. Or it might be that the queen and some of the workers just moved over to a different spot.

Just getting rid of a fire ant mound in your path, lawn, or a flower bed is a huge relief. If they show up in a spot that is a weed patch or the other side of the fence, then it won't bother me at all.

Fire ants are a real pest. At my house in north AL they are coming in from fields nearby.. And making mounds .. I tried a few of the fire ant products over the years.. Most just tick them off and they move nearby..
Last summer I tried a new one by Ortho.. Most of the killers you use a cup or two on the mounds... This new one by Ortho.. You just use a tablespoon or so on gigantic mounds. With in a day or two they are history... Not an ant in sight.. I outside or inside the mound.. I think it is a new killer for them... And contains orthene as the active killer.. Their poison in their killer." It works better than anything I have ever seen..

Thanks for the tip Gordon. I don't have the fire ants but my DD does so will tell her. Where did you buy it?

Yes Thank-You Everyone for Your Incredibly Helpful and Quick Responses and Interest. I work third shift , and need to get a few hours sleep when I get home in the morning, not a machine, so couldnt check this thread till now.

For mounds in areas where my dog travels through, or in beds I need to work in, I use an immediate fire ant killer (Don't remember the brand, but I sprinkle it around heavily, then water it in. Kills 'em fast, but never really kills the queen, they just relocate.

Otherwise, I just leave 'em be, because if you have fire ants, you won't have nearly as much problem with fleas and ticks--fire ants eat their larvae.

Blomma..I think I got it at Home Depot.. It really works wonders...
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ortho-Orthene-12-oz-Fire-Ant-Killer-0282210/100056182

Ok. Here we go. This is from an article about weed control, but note the mention of fire ants. When I have time, I will look for other info.

Molasses- Dry or liquid molasses can be used to kill off hard-to-control weeds - even nutsedge. The dry product is used at 20 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft. as a fertilizer and fire ant repellant. Doubling that rate causes a herbicidal effect on certain weeds. Liquid molasses used at about a cup per gallon of water kills nutsedge. It usually takes 2 or 3 applications and the nutsedge slowly dies away.

Gordon, thank you for the info. Will check it out in my local HD