Robby, I've used several methods for keeping ants out of my house, but those don't work on fireants. Boric acid and sugar water in a bottle cap is a good inside ant killer. The problem is you only want to use about 1% boric acid with the sugar. If you use too much boric acid, the ants are repelled by the bait and don't eat it. Many people mix too much boric acid in and see the ants are gone. They think their mixture has worked to kill the ants when it has just caused them to build a new out-of-sight trail. Boric acid is also good for repelling roaches in problem areas, but there are better treatments.
Ron, I have one of those propane torches, but it is primarily a surface treatment. The heat won't penetrate more than a few inches. I've heard that hot water pressure washers with boilers can be used effectively to deliver scalding water deep within a mound because the water will bore a hole ahead of the nozzle. Of course, who wants to spend thousands on a boiler equipped pressure washer to kill fireants? Compared to that, the orange oil based compounds are a bargain. Where I used to live in Grand Prairie, TX, there was a feed store that stocked the molasses, compost tea, and orange oil. I can find the orange oil around here, but I've not been so lucky at finding the rest of recipe. There was a small backyard business that sold the stuff here, but he couldn't stay in business. It's hard to compete with the Bayer, Scotts, and Amdro when you are a little guy selling solutions that cost two to three times as much.
Brandi: My dad used to buy cheap dollar store bleach and pour it on the mounds. I'm sure he sterilized the soil for a 10' radius around the mound, but it sure kicked buttocks on those fire ants.
Dennis: Isn't it wacky? Shark fin soup, tiger parts, monkey parts are all deeply ingrained in some Asian cultures. I read on Yahoo! the other day that Yao Ming was actually making headway to reduce the demand for sharkfin soup in China. More power to him.:thumbsup:
