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Old 04-12-2007, 08:49 AM
 
Location: The Big D
14,862 posts, read 42,858,565 times
Reputation: 5787

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Here is a GREAT resource for all things on Fire Ants from Texas A&M:
http://fireant.tamu.edu/


If you do find fire ants there are two other methods to use that are safe.
1. Hot water and liquid dish soap. Fill a pitcher w/ hot water and liquid dish soap and pour on mound. You can do this even if people/kids are going to be in the yard shortly after and the ants will be gone.
2. Powdered laundry detergent. This suffocates them and you won't have to worry about them moving to a "new home" which is what can happen w/ some products on the market. I've used this method to treat an entire soccer field that was covered in fire ant mounds and after that day we never had another one come up. This also works very quickly and is safe to do if you are going to have people/kids in the yard that day. I buy the biggest cheapest box of detergent and use it when needed.


If you have not noticed it is in the spring after heavy rains that the mounds REALLY show up above ground. They are there other times but underground. The heavy rains drench their underground home so they come up to the surface in order to survive. Only to have us treat them to get rid of them.
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Old 04-12-2007, 08:55 AM
 
Location: Fort Worth/Dallas
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Does the laundry detergent hurt the lawn? Great stuff. I may have to try as those little buggers are starting to pop up everywhere.
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Old 04-12-2007, 09:05 AM
 
Location: The Big D
14,862 posts, read 42,858,565 times
Reputation: 5787
Quote:
Originally Posted by Synopsis View Post
Does the laundry detergent hurt the lawn? Great stuff. I may have to try as those little buggers are starting to pop up everywhere.
No, it does not hurt it. Doesn't look great but it gets rid of them FAST and won't kill the yard or be dangerous for pets and kids. That rain last week brought them up . Supposed to have more rain tomorrow. If you put it out today the ants will be dead and the rain tomorrow will wash away the detergent. I don't cake it on just a light coating of the mound.
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Old 04-12-2007, 09:08 AM
 
Location: Fort Worth/Dallas
11,887 posts, read 36,909,519 times
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Thanks, I'll have to try that. I've been putting down the seasonal stuff from Amdro that seems to work pretty well, but am worried about the birds eating that stuff. I don't think they'll touch detergent.
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Old 04-12-2007, 09:40 AM
 
Location: Texas Hill Country
2,392 posts, read 9,648,843 times
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You might see also if you are friendly with your neighbors if you can get everyone to do it at the same time we do that on my end of the neighborhood here and its had been yrs since one of us has had a pile of ants. OTherwise the ants just move back and forth from the same yards if everyone does it at a different time.
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Old 04-12-2007, 09:45 AM
 
37,315 posts, read 59,832,630 times
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read that a natural way to get rid of fire ants if you have two hills in your yard is to take two shovels and get ants from each pile--dump them on the other---the ants start a war and kill both colonies, basically...
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Old 04-12-2007, 10:28 AM
 
Location: la hacienda
2,256 posts, read 9,759,075 times
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We're in FL and have fire ants here. In the past 3 years or so, we have used Over N Out fire ant granules. You apply it to your yard, flowers beds in the spring, it keeps the ants away until the next year. The active ingredient is fipronil. Fipronil is also used to control fleas on cats and dogs and is used under the brand names Frontline Top Spot that is applied directly to the back of your pet. We gotten the double bonus of keeping the yard fire ant and flea free.
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Old 04-12-2007, 01:24 PM
 
Location: Fort Worth/Dallas
11,887 posts, read 36,909,519 times
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Wow, I didn't know that about over 'n out gulfdriver. That is what I've been using the last couple of years and it has done the job well. I was looking into an alternative method such as the detergent because I was worried about the birds picking up the granules of over 'n out.
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Old 04-12-2007, 02:58 PM
 
Location: The Big D
14,862 posts, read 42,858,565 times
Reputation: 5787
I can not remember if it was Amdro or Over n Out but our pest control guy told us that one of them would not help us. The reason being is that it doesn't get completely rid of them but just pushes them into areas that they can survive like under rocks. We have a pool and LOTS of landscaping that has the large rocks and rock clusters. Sometimes it does not kill them but merely helps them to go in search of a new home in greener pastures. The laundry detergent kills them which is why I like it

Getting all the neighbors in one area to treat their lawns at the same time starting in the fall and going on into spring is the best thing. I believe Texas A&M has a program for that. A few years ago I read that they would come out and help organize it and once it is done for an entire area for several years it gets rid of them for a long time.
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Old 04-13-2007, 09:36 AM
 
40 posts, read 380,979 times
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Default Fire ants over and out

Don't let any pesty control person lie to you! Over & Out is excellent for fire ants, other ants, and cockroach control. Plus, it is not a bait based insecticide like Amdro and, therefore, should not attrack any birds. It is reactive with the soil. However, it does take a little while to become effective but it's worth the wait. Then, if you just reapply at the appropriate intervals you will not have to wait. I reseached this problem until I was blue in the face and Over & Out is the answer. Standard Scott spreaders are easy to use. I use the two wheel type for the major portion of the lawn and the hand held whirly type to get behind shrubbery, etc. Good luck...kill'em, I hate 'em.
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