Calling all southerners.....FIRE ANTS

[AmyRey]

I've heard of and tried nearly all the suggestions here and I have to say that the most sure-fire way to get rid of fireant mounds is to sprinkle on some Amdro.

My girls will eat a few ants here and there, but I can't see them taking on a whole mound.

A funny story... Years ago, we had some really bad weather come through. The kids (4 & 1 at the time) and I were in the bathtub, mattress over our heads, the whole nine yards. We prayed and prayed and prayed and my four year old says "Dear Lord, please don't let anybody die, but if something has to die... please let it be the fireants."

Fireants are the devil!

The only thing I've found to kill the itch (which strangely enough comes back after a couple of days, particularly if the blister bursts, is Benadryl cream/gel.

And those huge red ants are called cow ants. You can't kill them. Seriously, try stomping on one sometime. They pop right back up and scurry off.

 

[sutillman]

Southern States carries a product called Talstar. It will not make them just move, it kills the whole mound. I'm sure it's available elsewhere too. I mix it in with my fertilizer and broadcast each year and haven't had any at all this year.

 

[cindip]

I second that about the the fire ants biting. As we speak, I have just come from outside from being attacked and biten by fire ants. I don't know how they crawled under my t-shirt but they did. At first, I thought a wasp was under my shirt, so I was trying to get it from under there but then the stings went to the side of my stomach and my back. I finally had to take off my shirt (i was behind the goat house so no one saw me) and brush what was no me off. I finally saw fire ants just drop to the group. The sting from their bite is soooooooo INTENSE. I still feel it. If anyone has a solution, I'm listening. Those little suckers have to be destroyed!!!

kuntrygirl; i don't have a solution yet for the ants, but i will tell you without a doubt young living lavender oil stops the sting immediately and you never blister up

 

[cindip]

Southern States carries a product called Talstar. It will not make them just move, it kills the whole mound. I'm sure it's available elsewhere too. I mix it in with my fertilizer and broadcast each year and haven't had any at all this year.

that isn't poisonous to the chickens?

 

[cindip]

I've heard of and tried nearly all the suggestions here and I have to say that the most sure-fire way to get rid of fireant mounds is to sprinkle on some Amdro.

My girls will eat a few ants here and there, but I can't see them taking on a whole mound.

A funny story... Years ago, we had some really bad weather come through. The kids (4 & 1 at the time) and I were in the bathtub, mattress over our heads, the whole nine yards. We prayed and prayed and prayed and my four year old says "Dear Lord, please don't let anybody die, but if something has to die... please let it be the fireants."

Fireants are the devil!

The only thing I've found to kill the itch (which strangely enough comes back after a couple of days, particularly if the blister bursts, is Benadryl cream/gel.

And those huge red ants are called cow ants. You can't kill them. Seriously, try stomping on one sometime. They pop right back up and scurry off.

we've had personal experience with my husband's forearm getting covered with fire ants and i gave him some young living lavender, sting stopped within seconds and he never blistered! true story!

 

[prostar]

My poor dog got her back leg covered the other day...poor girl. Had to pick em off, hose her down and pick off the remaining clingons.

Think I may just bust out my big stock pot and use up the propane on boiling a bunch of water....vengeance will be mine!!!

Will have to look for that amdro stuff too.

 

[Shining Hill]

Sugar does not work, corn meal does not work.  The only think I have found that actually kills the mound is Amdro, and it works great.  Theres good drenches that you can use also.  But you have to stay on top of them to keep them in check.  I have 10 acres and when I first moved here, Id hate it when it rained, because the next day Id have dozens and dozens of mounds.  Now I might have 1 or 2.  I use Amdro religiously.

 

[Shining Hill]

How long do you wait after using Amdro before you let your chickens back out to forage? Or do you? I used a little and I'm wondering how long I have to wait