The question I asked the county agent: How do you get rid of fireants in pots of food plants on the patio or in raised beds.
First of all, the county agent said not to put bait on the ant bed, even if it is on the ground. He said all you did was warn the ants to get the queen and run with her to form a new bed.
Throw a handful of potato chips (yes, that is what he said) around the nest before you poison. Do not put potato chips in the pot or raised bed. This is to determine if the ants are feeding. It should take twenty minutes to see if they are feeding because they will come to the potato chips. If the fire ants do not come, do not poison right then. Sometimes, they are not out foraging, just inside tending to babies and the queen.
Once you see the ants are feeding, then is the time to bait (kill) them. Do not put chips in pots with fire ant beds or in raised beds with fire ant beds. Do not put potato chips or bait in pots or raised beds.
Potato chips are not the bait to which he refers. More on that later.
There are two good baits, and it will say bait on anything you use to kill the babies and all the fire ants.
When you put the bait (poison) out, do not put it on the bed! Put it about two feet around the bed where you put the potato chips. Remember, chips or bait on the bed is the signal to grab the queen and find a new home. Pick up the chips before you put out the bait.
The best two baits to use:
*Extinguish Plus
*Come and Get It (expensive)
Neither can be found in Lowe's or Home Depot. You might have to go to a Farm Store type place. He did emphasize that whatever you get must have "bait" on the bag. This is the type that the ants carry back to the nest to eliminate all fire ants.
I have been worried about the pots in the back yard and wondering what to do if I get fire ants in them. Plus, First Man had fire ants in his raised beds.
Of course, this works on the lawn or in a garden.
Any questions? I can ask him. Have you ever used either of these or a "bait?" What do you use?
I use Amdro.
ReplyDeleteHe mentioned that, but I don't remember what he said. Is it a bait?
DeleteI use that too- pest man said the problem is they just move to your neighbor's lawn and cone back again. this year I haven't seen any hills thankfully but I always have socks and gloves on when planting/weeding.
DeleteThe two he mentioned, if used like he said, kill the ants underground so they don't go to your neighbor's yard. You do realize fireants will crawl up your socks? At least, wear white socks.
DeleteAnne and Nan,
DeleteIf you use Amdro Bait, and put it around the ant bed instead of on it, the ants will take it back to the next, eliminating the nest. The ants will not be chased to the neighbor's yard.
Fire ants. I hate 'em! I bought a fire ant KILLER on Amazon called Martin's Surrender. It works and works fast. Drawback: It stinks to high heaven. It's enough to make you sick to your stomach and it will stink up wherever you store it for as long as it lasts in the can. I went to plant flowers in a big metal tub out front last year. Little did I know it was infested with fire ants. They bit me like crazy. Hubby doused that sucker with the stinky powder and they haven't been back since. I don't know about the bait treatments, but it seems like it would make sense to get the queen.
ReplyDeleteLorraine,
ReplyDeleteYou live in the South. Lots of us are on the alert and still get bitten. When I was ten, I was attacked when they were up to panties on R leg and up to knee on L leg. I was ill for weeks. Be careful. They can kill. I read about that stinky stuff. Thanks.
I think everyone in the south has stepped into or otherwise physically disturbed a fire any bed before and suffered the consequences. I went to a great lecture several years ago and heard E.O. Wilson University Professor, Emeritus in Entomology at Harvard. It was a fascinating lecture about the social order of fire ants. As an aside he said the best way to get rid of them is to put an equal number of ants from a different bed onto an existing ant bed. They will fight to the death and take no prisoners. I would not like to be the fool who collected them though.
ReplyDeleteAnne, fifth time trying to post in one hour. Thanks for that information. I am not counting them to get an equal amount, nor will I collect them...lol. Thanks for information.
ReplyDelete