What to Do when Fire Ants Have Moved into Your Lawn

If you live in certain parts of the world fire ants are a part of life. They have no natural predators in the United States and so can often times run out of control on a lawn. The fire ants create large mounds where down below the queen stays secure in tunnels.

If you disrupt one of the nests you will see thousands and thousands of ants charge out. They bite and will attack in large amounts. They are very dangerous pests especially around young children and pets.

If you have a yard that has a new neighbor, fire ants, there are certain paths you can go to treat the situation and try to avoid the return. Here is what you need to know.

Killing the ants you see does nothing. They will replenish constantly. The only way to kill them is to get the queen. I suggest trying one of three ways to accomplish this.

Boil scalding hot water. Get a funnel and shove it in the mound. Pour the hot water and run quickly away. If you have poured enough you might get the queen and kill off the colony. This has an average chance of success.

Get fire ant bait. This comes in a few forms but the bottom line is that you spread the pellets around your lawn near the colony. Worker ants will bring the food back to the queen. She eats it. She dies. Problem solved. The key is to spread it and leave it be and reapply as needed. Unlike option 1, this should not be used if you have pets who like to eat grass and random stuff around your lawn. It is a toxin and can cause damage.

A little gasoline goes along way. The final suggestion is to get a funnel and push the funnel into the mound as deep as you can. Pour a small amount of gasoline into the hole and pull out the funnel. Use a shovel and close up the mound with the loose dirt. The fumes of the gasoline will go to work right away and kill the ants inside. This is not a recommended option as the gasoline might do damage to your lawn and if you use a well, could cause issues with your water supply.

Fire ants are a very dangerous pest. They need to be controlled as best possible and one of the most reliable ways to maintain the issue is to properly maintain your lawn. If you mow weekly and keep your lawn short, this will deter them from setting up shop in your area as the constant annoyance of the mower will make them move. This will only be a short term solution as they are not killed off, only move to your neighbors or to another spot where you mow less frequently.