Fire ant control

[FarmerBob]

If you've ever been stung by those pesky lil critters, then you'll understand how they came to be known as "fire" ants /w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif. I've been stung enough times in my life that now I look for <font color=red>pure revenge</font color=red> when a mound appears on my property. Luckily, Central Arkansas hasn't become heavily infested, but the numbers seem to increase annually. I guess some people would call me cruel or inhumane, but when it comes to fire ants... <font color=blue>MERCY</font color=blue> is not in my vocabulary /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif. When I find a mound, I run for my shop and grab my propane blowtorch... stir the nest with a stick to get the lil ***** aggrevated 'n swarm'n... then hit 'em with the <font color=orange>flamethrower</font color=orange> /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif. They are now transformed from "pesky critters" to "crispy critters" /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif. I then give 'em a few hours to bury the dead (or whatever they do to get rid of the bodies of their fallen comrads) then I repeat the process /w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif. Although I know I'm not get'n to the queen, it gives me great pleasure to know that I'm giving them a taste of their own medicine. And... actually... after a couple of "treatments" with the torch... they abandon the nest and don't return /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif. I just hope the good Lord don't hold it against me come judgement day /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif.

FarmerBob

 

[geneP]

FarmerBob, I guess if you kill enough of the worker ants there won't be enough left to feed the queen and she'll die, too.

Maybe you can use the argument that God gave us "......dominion....... over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth".

 

[ERNIEB]

Imported fire ants are a big problem down in this part of the country, and I've studied up on them. How to control them has been well covered, so I won't rehash that. I just had to put in my two cents.
When I was a kid in the fifties, screw worms were a big problem for livestock producers. A decision was made to eradicate screw worms. Goverment and the private sector went to work and today screw worms are all but gone.
I don't see why the same can't be done for the fire ant. It is far worse than just a pest. It is not native. Why not eradicate it? The way I see it, what is lacking is the commitment.

Ernie

 

[geneP]

We had a former Agriculture Commissioner who was going to eridicate them in our state. He had a state owned plant to produce bait using Myrex (sp?) as the killing agent. The county agent would give the stuff away to landowners, and the commissioner was broadcasting it out of airplanes.

The government outlawed the Myrex and he had to shut his plant down. He didn't eradicate them, but he slowed 'em down.

I don't think the government will do anything about them until they affect more than just a few southern states.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Two options I use since I prefer to use as little poison as possible. 1) Diatomacous Earth (DE) available from your local garden/landscape store will clear them out with a couple of applications. I stir the hill up, sprinkle the DE around the perimeter of the hill and on the mass of attackers erupting from my stirring. 2) Hot water will clean them out. I read somewhere, Oganic Gardening(?), that the water needs to reach 180 degrees. Don't ask me why so hot unless to penetrate down to the queen. BE CARFULL WITH THE HOT WATER METHOD, YOUR TISSUE DIES AS EASILY AS THE ANTS!!!

 

[heehaw]

that DE is also available at most locations that sell swimming pool supplies. Its one method of filtering the water. I've been trying it a little lately to see how it does, so far i have found it does nothing about spiders. I put a "bunch" in my well house to try to get rid of the spiders/webs, but i clean the webs out an they come right back.
heehaw

 

[RJohnson]

heehaw
You might try moth balls in your well house, other than that I can think of nothing to control spiders, unless you kill all of the insects the spiders eat/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.

Randy

 

[TBone]

Gene, I use Diazinon liquid in a sprayer. Mix it a little stronger than recommend. Pump the sprayer up with as much pressure as possible and (with the nozzle open and spraying), push it down into the mound to the handle. If you push it down in the mound before starting the spray, it'll stop up your nozzle. It seems to get the queen too. Good luck with them buggers. What part of Mississippi are you from? I live in Clarke county and work in Jones County. TBone

 

[geneP]

TBone, I'm in Star (Rankin County)

Thanks for the idea... I've been drenching the mounds, but hadn't thought of "supercharging" the drench!

 

[jinman]

Heehaw, the DE you buy at the pool supply store is different from the DE at the landscaping store. You won't get the desired control if you use it as you noted your lack of results in your post. Ask any organic garden center about the difference, but I'm sure the pool DE is meant to be a filter/treatment.

JimI