Living in Texas, we are constantly on the lookout for fire ants. Their bite is vicious and the wound can last weeks without proper treatment. Every time I see a fire ant mound starting to form in our yard or public parts of our neighborhood, I treat it. Through research and trial and error I’ve learned how to kill fire ants without harsh chemicals. That way I can go to battle and win against the little tyrants without damaging the environment or putting my kids at risk.
Why do I hate them so much? Last year our daughter wandered in to a pile of fire ants and was stung over 30 times in a matter of seconds. It was horrible, and had we not gotten them off of her in time she could have died. One wrong step led to days of misery for my sweet girl, and a very traumatic time for her mama. Read on to find out how we annihilate fire ants in our area and keep them away.
Here’s what you need:
- Baking Soda – enough to cover the mound
- Vinegar – one cup for every 6-8 inches of mound size
- orange essential oil – 20 drops for every cup of vinegar
- one tablespoon of Dawn dish soap per cup of vinegar
Instructions:
- Once you’ve spotted a mound of fire ants, mark off the spot and keep the kids away. I found this little mound starting to build in our yard and took quick action.
- Take a long stick and poke holes as deep as you can in the mound. The ants will start to swarm, so keep your hands and feet clear.
- Pour you baking soda all over the mound, covering it completely and making sure it gets down in the holes.
- Pour the orange essential oil and dish soap in to the vinegar, and mix well.
- Pour the mixture over the mound. It will create an ant volcano that is pretty fun to watch as you get your revenge.
How It Works: The combination will disrupt their activity, cause them to swarm, and then the d-limonene compound in the orange essential oil will destroy their exoskeletons. Researches from Texas A&M have found that the dish soap and orange essential oil are the most effective way to kill fire ants and keep them away. Victory!
How do you fight fire ants?
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Will this kill the grsss?
It didn’t in our yard, but I would recommend trying a small test patch first.
Will this method hurt my vegetable plants? I am wanting to put this in my garden, its full of red ants! ????
I’m not sure. Try a small test patch first.
We got rid of thatching ants (similar to fire ants) by digging down into the nest a foot or so with shovel then torching their nest with propane torch. After trying soda, vinegar and all kinds of other materials, torch was the only success we ever had.
I am allergic to oranges. Can you use lemon and get the same effect
I’m not sure.
I was told club soda would kill fire ants
Whenever I find a fire ant mound in my yard I look for the entry point and then leave them be until I get a big pot of boiling water,I then slowly and carefully pour the hot water down the HOLE, POOF like magic they don’t come back. I have only had to repeat the process once again on the same colony because it was next to our retainer wall.
This works in my yard. I have small dogs and grandchildren I didn’t want around poisons. This worked beautifully.
I have found that when I am stung and bit by fire ants that if I soak a cotton ball with vinegar and place it over the sting for about a minute that it will neutralize the itching and prevent the pustules from forming. So far it has worked many times for me and neighbors.
Cornmeal works too. They can’t digest it. Within a few days the ants have disappeared and the hill looks like plain dirt.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this information, Sir!!! I’m highly allergic and have to make a trip to doctor, pharmacy, spend way too much money, not to mention the blisters, pain, agony and disability! You have more than done your good dead for the day!!!
I make plantain salve for bites and stings and am still fighting fire ants here in GA. I am going to give this a try for sure.
I had to two fire ant hills on black top drive way. They have actually dug holes through the blacktop! One morning I went out to my car and there was a mound about a foot in diameter and at least 6 inches deep. I had just recently read somewhere about using vinegar but did not remember about baking powder or dish detergent . I went outside with a large container of vinegar and poured it right over the hill and then the smaller ones too. I saw the ants running around like crazy but I did not now to rile them up what is a good thing so that that vinegar would get to them faster. Next day Just a few ants walking around the top so I poured more vinegar on it. It worked completely! They are totally gone. Are used to live on 3 acres a beautiful foliage I am grass and ants. My boyfriend was a genius at taking care of problems with any kind of plant or bird or bug, etc. Just thought I would let you know that if you panic like I did just take the vinegar which I always have because I use it to wash the floor two in the kitchen on my tile. It works and they have not come back and well over a month.
My grandchildren were bitten by fire ants my daughter didnt have anything to put on the bites so i rubbed mint toothpaste on the bites… Shortly after the little ones stopped crying and went back to play. This totally surprised me. The bites didnt pustule either. Hey when its a 1 and 2 year old you get creative.
A paste of baking soda and small amount of water put on bites immediately will take sting out andnot have any sign of bite. My grandson was covered with ants. Covered him with this and no problems
You can also use grits or corn meal