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How To Get Rid Of Fire Ants On Your Bradenton Property

If you’re looking for how to get rid of fire ants, you’ve come to the right place.   Today, we’re going to talk about the dos and don’ts of fire ant control in Bradenton. As always, if you need immediate assistance instead of information on fire ants, you can quickly hop over to our contact page and request a service visit. 

Fire ants are a common problem in many parts of the world. Not only are they annoying, but their stings can be quite painful, and in some cases, even life-threatening. If you’re dealing with a fire ant infestation, you’re probably wondering how to get rid of them. Luckily, there are several methods you can use to eliminate these pests. In this article, we’ll explore the most effective ways to get rid of fire ants as well as provide you with some great information.  

Fire Ants

Identifying Fire Ants

Before you can get rid of fire ants, you need to be able to identify them. Here are some characteristics that can help you distinguish fire ants from other types of ants:
 
  • Fire ants are reddish-brown in color and range in size from 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch.
  • They are usually found in large colonies that can contain up to 500,000 ants.
  • Fire ants build large mounds that can reach up to 18 inches in height.

Why Are Fire Ants a Problem?

Fire ants are not just a nuisance; they can also be a serious health hazard. Here are some reasons why fire ants are a problem:

  • Fire ants are aggressive and will sting anything that disturbs their colony, including humans and animals.
  • Their stings are painful and can cause an allergic reaction in some people, causing a severe reaction.  Nausea, shock, chest pains, and comas are possible in hypersensitive people. 
  • Fire ants can cause damage to crops and other vegetation.

How to Get Rid of Fire Ants

Now that you know why fire ants are a problem, let’s explore the most effective ways to get rid of them.

Natural Methods:

If you prefer to use natural methods to get rid of fire ants, here are some options:

  • Sprinkle food-grade diatomaceous earth around the fire ant mound. This will kill the ants by dehydrating them.  However, in Florida, it’s so humid the product will be ruined quickly.  It will kill some ants, however it won’t transfer to the queen, leaving you will the same problem you started with. 
  • Place citrus peels or coffee grounds around the fire ant mound. This may repel the ants and may make them relocate.  This method and old wives tale  has been around a long time.  Unfortunately it was tested by entomologists and put to rest as ineffective  

Chemical Methods:

If natural methods don’t work (and they normally don’t), you may need to resort to chemical pest control to get rid of fire ants. Here are some options:

  • Use a fire ant bait that contains a slow-acting poison. The ants will carry the poison back to the colony, where it will eventually kill all the ants.
  • Apply a liquid insecticide directly to the fire ant mound. This will kill the ants it reaches.

Prevention

Preventing fire ants from entering your property is the best way to avoid an infestation. Here are some tips to prevent fire ants:

  • Keep your lawn well-maintained and free of debris.
  • Seal any cracks or openings in your home’s foundation.
  • Keep pet food and water dishes indoors.

Quick List Of Things You Shouldn’t Do

When you notice fire ants on your Bradenton property, you may be tempted to do what others have done. Here are a few methods we don’t recommend, along with the reasons why we don’t recommend them.

  • Don’t put something flammable or explosive into a fire ant hole. This is dangerous. It is also ineffective. The heart of a fire ant colony can be as much as 10 feet below the surface of the ground.
  • Don’t put boiling hot water onto the fire ant mound. Hot water won’t get much deeper than gasoline, kerosene, or some other dangerous and explosive liquid. It is also likely to scold you during application.
  • Don’t use toxic products, such as ammonia. Fire ants aren’t going to willingly expose themselves to toxic materials, and they have plenty of tunnels they can use to go around soil that has been dampened by harmful liquids.

Using Professional Pest Control Products

  

Mound Treatment or Mound Drench:

You may decide to use a pest control product called a mound treatment or mound drench. This type of fire ant treatment can get rid of a colony.  However, the problem is selecting the right product and applying it correctly. If this is going to be your approach, it should be done by a pest control company as they have access to all the proper products and equipment to perform the service correctly. Fire ants are notorious for escaping treatments. When they do, it is possible for budding to occur. This turns one colony into two or more colonies. Failing to successfully perform a fire ant treatment that kills the entire colony may result with your problem multiplying.

Baiting

Another route you may take is to lay down bait. This is certainly a good way to address fire ants, as long as you do it properly. But, if you use the wrong bait and the ants die too quickly, it can alert the queens in the colony. Yes, we said queens, with an “s”. There is more than one queen in a fire ant colony. When danger is detected, the colony can bud and the ants can spread throughout your lawn with each queen taking up the role as a leader of a new colony.

There are two more ways bait may fail. It is possible to get a bait that doesn’t work at all, which will just leave you with the problem you already have and now you’re out time and money.  Also, the fire ants may then become bait averse. While bait aversion is rare in fire ant populations, it is possible that they can develop an aversion if your methods encourage this behavior.

What You Should Do About Fire Ants

If you haven’t noticed yet, we are of the opinion that it is best to hire a professional like, Rodent Solutions for this pest problem. Unlike almost all of the other pests that will come onto your Bradenton property, fire ants can’t be easily deterred and managed with regular pest control service. A professional will use a combination of baiting, mound treatments, and monitoring to address fire ant colonies on your property.

Are You In Bradenton?

If you are, you’re in our service area of Bradenton, Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, or Parrish, contact Rodent Solutions for effective fire ant control. We may specialize in rodent control, but our technicians have extensive training in all of the pests we have in our area, including fire ants. We’ll provide you with the best solution for the fire ants on your Bradenton property.

If you’re interested in reading more about ants, click the links below:

 

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