Fire ants?? (house, crawl space, construction) - North Carolina (NC) - City-Data Forum

cruisekat · 06-12-2006, 07:43 AM

Hi! We are considering moving to NC from here in Florida where we have a terrible fire ant problem. So my question is, are the fire ants bad there in NC? Are they in all parts and is it a year round problem? Also, do you get all 4 seasons, and snow too?? We really miss that. Any insight is much appreciated! We want to find a place where our little ones are safe to play in the grass!

Bethanytedder · 06-12-2006, 07:55 AM

The fire ants are here but I doubt they are as prevailing as they are in Florida. Get in a bed of them and it isn't going to matter where they are Florida or North Carolina. They sting just as bad here as in Florida. As for the climate here, well, we do get some snow. Just don't expect a lot. Some years we go the entire winter barely getting below freezing. Then you can have a winter that it snows or we have an ice storm every other week or so. And along with that comes the single digit temps and other problems as frozen pipes. I have seen it 80 degrees on Christmas Day and I have seen 100 degree days in May. But this is not the normal. I have also seen two feet of snow on the ground the first week of April, 1980. Again this is not normal. We get more ice storms than actual snow. And once this happens, for the most part particularly in the Eastern part of the state, you can count on everything coming to a complete stop. If we are about to be hit with a snow or ice storm, the rule of thumb is to head to the grocery store for all the bread and milk you think you will need and other foods. You might not be able to get out for several days if you live on a secondary road. And go early or you won't be able to find a thing that you want. I always keep bread and peanut butter on hand if nothing else. You can probably treat your lawns so that the children will be safe from the ants. The ones I have don't built in the lawn. They go for the sand that is right around my doorsteps. I also have a huge hill that is built up around the base of my mailbox. I don't bother them as long as they stay put. We have a lot of the tiny ants that get in the house through the water pipes and into the kitchen. They are more of a nuisiance than anything else and I have no choice but to get rid of these. My husband works for the town and he has a whole arsenal of chemicals for each insect. Mosquitoes are a problem here as well. But even in Greene County that is a poverty county we spray for mosquitoes. Or I should say my husband does it. He is at school today for something related to that. And welcome to North Carolina.

cruisekat · 06-12-2006, 08:31 AM

Thank you so much for your insight, and your quick response! This is exactly the kind of info I was looking for. You've really helped answer alot of questions for me..thanks again!

luckydog · 06-12-2006, 10:01 AM

Fire Ants are definately present in the central & NE NC Coastal Plain region big time. They weren't always here like this, but the problem seems to grow each year.

I chase the mounds around the yard, every year...they just move if you aren't able to kill the queen. And if you just knock it down (like with the lawn mower), they just move to another spot. I just treated my infested garden yesterday (@#$#@) & about 5 other spots in the yard. We got them under the house once, in the sand in the crawl space, right after construction.

I've taught my 5 yr old DD to steer clear. She knows how to recognize a mound. I do have to watch her sand pile carefully though. I feel comfortable letting her "run the yard" freely, as long as I'm within seeing/hearing distance, just in case anything, not just fire ants, were to occur. I don't feel I have to go case it out first. When she was much smaller, I did do that, before I let her loose to play. She was too little to recognize the danger & steer clear herself.

We have a lot of agriculture here..fields/crops. They are particularly bad down the field paths, which I like to take walks down, with a watchful eye. The mounds get gargantuan in size on the ditch banks..a sight to see. I mean 3' tall!

The most successful (I'd say semi-successful!) remedy used here for them are granules, sprinkled on the mound, without disturbing it, called Andro. But they gotta carry the stuff to the queen & she has to ingest it, for it to be effective. Do you guys have a good way to deal with them? PLease share with me if you do! Maybe I could learn something from you!! Some here use gas...but I've been told it doesn't really work. I'm not one to go pouring gas around & have skipped trying that.

They're fierce things! My mom has the worst reaction to them I've ever seen. But DD's has a quite mild reaction...like a mosquito bite for her. Mom got bit on the finger & it got so bad, eventually you could see her bone! At first her whole hand looked like mickey mouse's & her skin was red up to her elbow. Her bites are incredibly painful, swell a lot, grow & open up like huge cankers & drain. It takes months for her to nurse a bite to fully healed. Some got in her socks one time & she had the same scenerio on her feet & ankles...it was hideous.

You asked if they are here year round? They tend to go mostly dormant here during the coldest part of the winter. I noticed they woke up in the spring, but they are just now getting so active that the mounds "move around" the yard so much.

You asked if they're statewide? I can't speak for their presence, in the other regions of NC, just the Coastal Plain..no first hand knowledge.

You asked about 4 seasons & snow? The further west in NC you go, the more distinct the seasons. The Coastal Plain does have 4 seasons, but they're much more distinct...say from the Piedmont region, & westward, in the state. We get some snow, in this region, but not a lot.

Bethanytedder · 06-12-2006, 10:31 AM

She's right. You can barely tell Fall from winter sometimes or spring from summer. But the most miserable times of the year are July and August generally speaking. The humidity is high and so are the temperatures. I stay indoors most of the time but I see what it does to my husband that works outside come rain, shine, hail, sleet, snow, etc.

cruisekat · 06-12-2006, 10:41 AM

Thank you both so much...I am so thrilled to have found this forum!!

luckydog · 06-12-2006, 10:56 AM

You're most welcome. Glad to have helped.

Do you guys use anything for the fire ants you'd suggest? Andro, perhaps? Or something else?

Bethanytedder · 06-12-2006, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luckydog

You're most welcome. Glad to have helped.

Do you guys use anything for the fire ants you'd suggest? Andro, perhaps? Or something else?

I'll ask Chris what it is that he uses. I just leave them alone unless they are in a place that will likely be distrubed. I think they do have some value. They keep the insect population of other bugs in check. But sometimes they do get in places that you have to treat.

anonymous · 06-12-2006, 11:20 AM

The commercial pesticides diazinon and dursban are somewhat effective. If you don't kill the queen, though, it doesn't do much good. The mound will just pop up somewhere else in your yard. If you disturb the mound, the ants will move the queen to a "safer" location and the pesticide won't be effective.

Gasoline is very effective. (don't light it)
It's not the safest solution. It does create some problems - pollutes groundwater, and is a fire hazard. The government recommends that you not use it. But it kills those suckers quickly.

luckydog · 06-12-2006, 12:04 PM

Quote:

The commercial pesticides diazinon and dursban are somewhat effective. .

Ever used them, in comparison to Andro?

Quote:

Gasoline is very effective. (don't light it)
It's not the safest solution. It does create some problems - pollutes groundwater, and is a fire hazard. The government recommends that you not use it. But it kills those suckers quickly.

Does it seem to kill the queen too?