Fire Ants almost got him

[Golfgar4]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Do they really kill fire ants, or did I fall for it? )</font>

I really couldn't say, Eddie.

But as far as I'm concerned, it would be a good use for them. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Bird]

Yep, grits work pretty well if they've been treated with a pesticide. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif I was pretty successful in controlling the fire ant population on my property (you'll never entirely eliminate them) by using the two step method recommended by Texas A&M. I used Logic for the bait step which was applied at the rate of approximately one pound per acre. And I used Diazinon for the drench step until it was no longer available.

 

[Panache]

Eddie, It did the time my wife had some old instant grits. Try it, what are you out, maybe $1. I use Amdro broadcast most of the time.

 

[EastTexFrank]

I don't know Eddie. I thought I'd heard of most of them ... Juicy Fruit Chewing Gum for gophers, self raising flour for caterpillars, crushed oolitic limestone for slugs but I've never heard of grits for fireants. I knew that there had to be some use for grits and that God wouldn't put them on this earth just to punish me. I think Bird is right though. You probably need to soak them in insecticide and use it as bait.

I met a guy once who used his steam cleaner to kill the ants. He stuck the wand about 2' into the mound and scalded them to death, queen and all. He said he was going to patent the idea as an environmentally friendly way of dealing with the problem. I will tell you though that pouring hot water on the mound doesn't work because it doesn't get the queen. She's usually too deep. The best it will do is force them to move. I did try it once, just to see what would happen, and spent part of the afternoon watching them carry the dead ants out of the mound and pile them up. They'd be interesting little things if I didn't react so badly to their bites.

 

[Darren]

The idea of using steam would work. It wouldn't be difficult to build a tractor mounted system that could inject steam deep into the mounds to obliterate the ants.

 

[Panache]

I've always thought of using a CO2 tank and a long wand. Stick the wand into the mound and inject CO2. CO2 being heavier than air would stay, But would it be long enough to kill the ants.

 

[kensfarm]

"He stuck the wand about 2' into the mound "

I've heard that the mounds go 6 to 8 feet down into the ground.

 

[btolle]

The best thing I have found is Bengal Fire Ant Killer from Wal Mart. I tried some other brands and they didn't work anywhere near as well.

The only thing I have found that fireants are good for is they will eat tree stumps. If you have a mound on a tree stump leave it if you can and they will take care of the stump for you.

Bill Tolle

 

[DennisArrow]

Any idea what fire ants do to goats? This season I am trying them in my pasture instead of bush hogging. There are usually a couple of mounds in the 10 acres. I hesitate to use the bait on them which does work cause the goats will follow me and try to eat it............Seems I remember back when they first started about them causing lots of problems for cattle and livestock......Dennis

 

[PBMAX]

yes it has worked for me... couple times... Grits that is no pesticides, just plan please /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif as mentioned, it only works when the air is dry. it took 2 bags of 99cent reular grits to kill the mound under my moms bay window when i was a teenager.... My Memaaw had mentioned it to me as a kid. And well being a kid, I had to try it. the theory is they do to ants what uncooked rice does to birds... POP...... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif of course you have to put enough to kill the whole mound....