Fire ants are one of the most common types of pests in Austin, San Antonio, and throughout the state of Texas. In fact, according to The Scripps Howard Texas Poll, 79 percent of Texans have been stung by fire ants. Fire ants are perhaps most well known for the fierce sting, but they also cause immense agricultural damage each and every year. Anyone who has been stung by one of these critters knows that the sting they deliver causes immediate and intense pain. If you have a fire ant problem, you likely want to get rid of it now. Below, our Texas fire ant control technician explains how to do it.
The Lifecycle of the Fire Ant
Fire ant colonies, like most ant colonies, have at least one queen that oversees the colony and keeps it populated. A new fire ant colony is established when a female fire ant leaves her original colony and starts a new one. Once the new queen is at the new location, the queen will lay eggs, which will go through four developmental stages of their lifecycle.
The majority of the eggs will develop into female workers, which are small and wingless. These workers are responsible for defending the queen and the nest, and for scavenging for food to feed the queen. They spend most of their day out searching for food, which they then bring back to the queen, other workers, and developing reproductives. The fire ant’s diet is largely made up of microscopic organisms, plants, and even vertebrates such as small mammals and birds.
If you have a problem with fire ants in your yard, it is critical that you understand their life cycle. To get rid of the issue, you have to kill the queen, which will in turn kill the rest of the colony.
Dousing the Mound with Boiling Water
One of the first things many people do when they notice fire ants in their yard is to pour boiling water over the mound. To do this, two to three gallons of boiling water must be carefully poured over the nest, making sure that the water does not splash the person applying it. According to Texas A&M University, pouring boiling water over a nest works about 60 percent of the time.
The boiling water method does come with risks. Of course, there is the chance that someone could get splashed with boiling water and suffer serious burns. Perhaps worse, the fire ants will certainly feel threatened and when they do, they attack, which could result in serious stings for the person applying the treatment. Lastly, there is little chance that the boiling water is going to kill the queen and all of the workers. Even if it kills the majority of workers, those that survive will just make a new mound nearby. The boiling water is also highly unlikely to reach the queen, who is situated deep within the mound.
Pouring Pesticide Over the Mound
Drenching a fire ant mound with pesticide works very similarly to pouring boiling water over it, but it is much more effective. Usually, two to three gallons of pesticide are poured on the mound. Unlike the boiling water method, the pesticide will reach much deeper into the soil, giving you a better chance that it will reach the queen and kill her. Additionally, the residual pesticides will also kill any straggling workers as they enter or exit the mound.
Although pouring pesticide over a fire ant mound has a greater chance of success, it is recommended to leave this job to a professional. Again, someone will have to get close to the nest, which could result in an attack once the ants inside feel threatened. Additionally, pesticides are usually created using toxic materials and if these splash onto the skin, or into the eyes and mouth, it can have devastating effects.
Bait Worker Ants
One of the most effective ways to get rid of fire ants in the yard is to bait workers, but this method is not the quickest. To do this, bait is placed on the ground around the nest. When workers come out searching for food, they are attracted to the bait and identify it as food. They then take it back to the other workers and queen, essentially killing off the entire colony. It is important to know that although this method will get results, it usually takes about two weeks for an entire colony to collapse.
Use a Broadcast Pesticide Treatment
When you use a broadcast pesticide treatment, you apply bait to the entire space, throwing it around just as if you were feeding chickens or sowing seeds. This is the best approach to use when a large yard or other space has become infested with multiple fire ant mounds.
This method is thought to be safer than pouring boiling water or pesticide over the mound because there is no need to come into close vicinity of the actual fire ant nests. A broadcast application, though, will give you the best chance that some of the pesticides will be taken back to the queen, and that fire ants in the yard will also pick up the bait. However, it is not without its downsides.
Broadcast treatments will also take approximately two weeks to kill all of the fire ants because this method relies on fire ants picking up the bait and taking it back to the colony. Also, the granules used in broadcast treatments are sometimes light-sensitive, meaning they could lose some of their effectiveness under the hot Texas sun. Also, if it rains shortly after application, it can also cause some runoff and make it less effective.
Call a Fire Ant Control Company in Texas
The best way to get rid of a problem in your space is to call a Texas fire ant control company. When you need one, you need the best, which is why your first call should always be to our experts at Stride Pest Control. Our expert technicians know how to eliminate fire ant problems once and for all so you can enjoy your backyard space once again. Call us now at (512) 777-1339 or contact us online to request a free consultation today.