FIRE ANTS

[EddieWalker]

A long time ago, a friend here in MS had relatives that ran cattle. They were getting frustrated with the county agent, who wasn't helping with their fire ant problem quickly enough. They mentioned it to a relative who is an entomologist. He asked them how much they were paying their vet to de-tick the cows, and said that if they left the fire ants alone, they wouldn't have the de-ticking expense. Supposedly, they now ban the county agent from spreading ant poison. No way to know the veracity of that tale, but I can say that I've had tick problems in some areas of my rural residential property, and when fire ant nests appear in those areas, the ticks disappear....

I now kill the ants when they're around walking areas, or if there will be a lot of people in the yard, but otherwise, I leave them alone.

I have fire ants all over my place in East Texas. I also have plenty of ticks. One of the excuses that I tell myself for getting guieneas is that they eat ticks. I'm not sure how many they eat, I haven't seen any sore of decline in ticks, but I do have a lot fewer grasshoppers, so there's that.

I was told that chiggers where a problem here before fire ants took over. I've never been bit by a chigger here, but I have been tore up by them in the Hill Country near Kerrville TX. If fire ants are keeping chiggers away, then I'm good with fire ants. At least I can spot their mounds and avoid them!!

 

[rScotty]

Between chiggers and fire ants I'll take the ants.

 

[5030]

Starting to get itchy reading along.

 

[Big Blue Florida]

Have heard of a mixture of soapy warm water & urine.
It's from an old manual for keeping chemicals out of the soil which is being used for food growing plants.

Now we don't recall the original % or mixture rating but we use 25% urine to 75% warm soapy water (Dawn).

We do recall the suggestion that one's first morning urine had the best effect.

As so far at the tick control for here, will add that after nearly all the pine trees were removed the dogs stayed nearly tick free.

The weed Dog Fennel seems to have some positive effect on other bugs/insects as well in the pasture.

No longer are there horses or beef cattle here for around us, so neighbors don't usually concern themselves, regarding to pasture health.

 

[Doughknob]

You all do realize that nothing exists to eradicate fire ants, right? People have been working on that for decades, maybe even centuries. They can be driven from one local spot to another but that is it.

If you poison them, your neighbors will simply have more of them. And if you ever stop the poisoning they will come back. It is a never ending battle man cannot win……

 

[Big Blue Florida]

We live off of our well water. It is changing for the worst. We get it tested yearly by folks who sell water treatment system.

Adding any fuel to the soil or nearly any strong chemical will back fire on all of us.

Even your city water supply has a working system that must counteract the massive fuel spills, oil dumping etc done regularly by anyone or lazy companies trying to save a handling fees.

Have listened to some who enjoy saying that our Florida sand is a natural filter. This is indeed correct but this natural filter system is not equipped to handle the un-natural distilled petroleum disposal by dumping into our soil to soak out of sight.

Not meaning to side track this good question about Fire Ant Problems started by the OP. However we must consider what is the long term effect of what we're doing.

 

[Big Blue Florida]

I wonder if they live when the ground freezes hard.

 

[jyoutz]

I wonder if they live when the ground freezes hard.

I don’t think that fire ants occur in cold climate areas.

 

[TCowner]

It's minus 19 degrees in Hayward Wisconsin this morning but not a sign of any of these stinging, or biting or whatever damage they do to human/animal flesh.

 

[lman]

I don’t think that fire ants occur in cold climate areas.

Thank goodness no. That makes our snow and 0 degree temperatures feel better.