FIRE ANTS, What to do?

[2cycle]

I got a mean bunch of them in the composter. They look like they are doing a good job of bringing in soil and aerating it good. But darnit they are painful, and a pest. I started turning the compost, and before I knew it they were almost up the handle of the rake. What can be done beside poisoning them? There was a mound that I treated with Spectracide, that was several feet away from the compost. But instead of killing them, it seems that they just moved into the compost.

Greg

 

[coyote]

I have never seen a nice bunch..

I normally want them gone yesterday if I find them in my yard are any place within 500 yards of my home.
soaking their area with a gallon of gas then lighting it works..but that is getting expensive today..anything you put on that does not kill them but makes them vacate, will only move them to another part of the yard.
most hardware stores have a special poison for just them..I would put it on while they sleep, are better yet follow the directions that come with the poison.

ah..just thought of a humane way.. vent yer smoker exsaust down on to the mound..that ought to make the little buggers croak..

 

[white cloud]

they should make ant shot for a twelve guage. Luckily we dont have them here but I have lived in places that do

 

[desertlites]

they ain't here yet but 1 state over-sure don't look foward to them.bro in Texas has plenty.

 

[sumosmoke]

Get those things outta your compost or else don't plan on getting your hands into them for a while. We've got 'em in FL and if you get caught standing in a pile of them and get bites on ya, those things itch and burn like crazy.

Try Ken's suggestion with the coffee grounds, and if that doesn't work, get that Amdro, or something, and get rid of 'em!

 

[smokewatcher]

What works for me is to splash a little gasoline into the nest hole, then just walk away. The nest dies almost immediatly....no fuss and no muss.

 

[richtee]

Toss in Q? Pull out at 200 for pulling?

 

[bondvader]

If you cant find the ant shot, get a huge magnifying glass and a 12 pack.

 

[rikil]

remember those magnifiers that would go on the back window of an RV? about 12" square. they are ultra powerful

, but expensive last I saw.

 

[rikil]

i had a relative that was a health inspetor. to get rid of ants and such in the kitchen (where you can't really use poison) they would use chili powder. Insects (IIRC) breath through their legs (or some crap like that), anyway, it would work for them.

 

[peculiarmike]

Import some of those "Crazy Ants" from Houston. They kill fire ants. Course, the "Crazy Ants" are sort of a plague in themselves.

 

[cman95]

We have beacoup fire ants in SE Texas. I called a exterminator one time and he told me the only real solution was to move.

 

[john dice]

hahahaha. I like the sound of that.

 

[coyote]

alright 2cycle what did ya do with the ants??have not heard back from ya..am wonderin if 911 call is in order. I am thinking they have you on their smoker right about know.
I did not want to give away any secerts .but here goes..shoot a couple barn swallows lay them by the nest before ya go to bed.in the morning the ants will have covered them and will be dining. get a shovel and scoop the whole mess up and throw it in a tree huggers yard. if they left any meat on bones fire up the grill. nothing goes to waste..

 

[2cycle]

Turning the pile yesterday, I stirred them up pretty good. I'm gonna try the granules again this evening. When I treated them last time, it rained so maybe thats why they moved.

Greg

 

[coyote]

lol. glad you are getting a handle on them. those fireants are wicked bad..
in the tropics I have seen them kill things. and seen kids stand in the nest by accident. terrible. any means available.take em out. sure would not let a rabbid dawg hang around the house. same dang thing.

 

[rikil]

if you are in there stirring the compost, and if it is possible, try and find the queen, it will be the only one that doens't look like the others, prly a lot bigger than the others also (might be able to find a pic on the internet). That might make them move.

 

[oillogger]

I have been killing ants in my yard for years with Malathion or another type of insect killer. Pour some into a used gallon milk jug until you cover the bottom to about 1/4" deep. Slowly fill the rest of the milk jug with water since the insect killer will want to foam up. Pour the mixture on top of your ant beds insuring you pour enough to get the queen. Go back to the ant beds in about 15-20 minutes later to watch them croaking away with a smug look on your face.

I can usually kill 2-3 fairly large ant beds with one gallon of mixture and it does not kill the grass as gasoline does. Now I am not sure if this will kill the bacteria you are depending upon to create your mulch.

Another possible solution is add plenty of fruit peelings to your mulch since I do know that a handful of kumquats on top of a ant bed will make them move in a few days.

Good Luck! Try it and let me know the results.

 

[bhille42]

LOVE IT!

 

[coyote]

alright whats yer address?? I am calling EOD if 1 pound of C4 will do it 59pounds will do it better. we will blow those red devils back to where they came..