How to Get Rid of Fire Ants

Serving Louisiana & Mississippi

No one likes fire ant nests in their yards. Their mounds are eyesores, but they’re also full of stinging insects! Fire ant stings can leave itchy welts all over your legs. They can be especially problematic if you have kids that plan on playing in your yard all summer. It’s important to learn about safe fire ant removal and fire ant extermination techniques. Although we recommend having a professional pest control company for fire ant treatment, we’re providing tips on how to get rid of fire ants permanently. Keep reading for more!

How to Kill Fire Ants

Its important to be very cautious when it comes to fire ant removal. These insects can be dangerous and it’s important to always wear gloves, shoes or boots, and clothing that you can easy knock ants off of. To learn how to get rid of fire ants, try the following fire ant treatment methods:

• Dig Them Out – If you have just one or two mounds, out in the open, you can actually physically remove them from your lawn with a shovel and a bucket. Once you’ve donned the right apparel for the job, you’ll want to do your digging around mid-day, when most of the ant colony is at home in the mound. Make sure that you dig the entire mound out and about a foot more below it. Dump the ants and their mound into a bucket large enough to hold them, and then you can decide whether to drown them in soapy water or just dump them somewhere off of your property.
• Scalding Water – Pouring three to four gallons of scalding hot water onto the mound at mid-day – again, when most of the ants are in the mound – will kill the mound effectively. However, you should know that hot water will also kill the grass and shrubberies around the mound as well. Be prepared to dig the dead mound out, replace it with new soil, and add seed to grow in new grass.
• Mild Chemical Treatments – If you want to make sure that you kill the mound, but you’re concerned about exposing yourself and your family to harsh chemicals, you can actually use two perfectly safe household ingredients: baking soda and vinegar. First, pour a liberal amount of baking soda over the mound. If it’s a large mound, use a stick to poke a few holes into the mound and fill these with baking soda. Once you have the nest covered with baking soda, pour a liberal amount of vinegar over it. These two ingredients together will kill the mound and won’t cause any harm to you or your family. You will still most likely have to use some seed and/or fertilizer to get healthy grass to grow in again, and you may still need to dig the mound out and refill it with new soil.

Fire Ant Removal Services

When it comes to fire ants, it’s important to take many precautions. Fire ants are stinging insects that won’t hesitate to sting. In addition, mounds can harbor many more fire ants than you may expect, which is why professional fire ant extermination is often your best choice. By using a professional exterminator, you can rest assured your fire ant problem is taken care of in a way that is safe for you and your family. If you’re wondering how to get rid of fire ants permanently, contact the experts here at Presto-X, formerly Fischer Environmental.

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