Every gardener knows that fighting an ant invasion is an uphill battle at best.  These colonies are at times invasive and stop at nothing to get to the food source they covet.  With more than hundred thousand individual ants to one colony, it is no wonder that gardeners do not look favorably on these pests.  Some are quick to point out that ants are indeed useful creatures, especially since they aerate the soil and also attack other insects, yet they can do just as much damage to gardens as they prevent.

Yet no ant has gotten as much bad press as the fire ant, especially the red imported fire ant.  This species found its way from South America’s Brazil to the North American continent at an Alabama port in the 1930s and has begun to wreak havoc in gardens and parks. While being a rather small species, the damage they do is severe:

Instead of a simple little hole or mound, these colonies take up a large surface area which they will defend intensely.

They damage crop seeds and the still small seedlings, which they use as a food source.

They attach small animals, which they kill and eat.

When threatened by humans, fire ants will attach the person, bite to get a good hold, and then inject toxic alkaloid venom that may be fatal to individuals who experience allergic reactions to it.

As you can see, effective fire ant control is a must, but there are many old wives’ tales about cures and remedies that are designed to rid you of these nasty critters.  Some of them actually work, while others will do nothing but aggravate the fire ants.  Here is a list of the most famous old wives’ tales and their effectiveness:

Use the garden hose to flood the nest and drown the queen.  This rarely, if ever, works with the regular ants you know, and will also not work with fire ants.  As a matter of fact, this act will be seen as an attack on the colony, and will result in a counter-attack.  This is not a recommended method, since it will bring a large number of the stinging ants to the surface in search of the aggressor who attacked.

Spreading cornmeal around the mound will inhibit the fungi that many ant species feed on.  This is good and well, but fire ants enjoy eating proteins which may be animal derived, so the loss of any fungi around the mound really will not have much influence on the growth and health of the colony, but instead may simply cause them to go a slightly larger distance to find their food source.

Flooding the nest with gasoline or lighter fluid and setting fire to it.  While this may rid you of the fire ant colony, it may also rid you of surrounding vegetation, and - depending on weather conditions - your home.  This is a highly dangerous undertaking, and is not recommended to the weekend gardener. Additionally, because of the damage you do to the soil, saturation with flammable substances should be carefully considered.

Spreading food-grade diatomaceous earth in your yard, and especially heavy concentrations around the fire ant mound.  This method does not involve any destructive toxins, and is considered an organic method for decimating the fire ant population.  It scratches and slices into the exoskeleton of the ants and causes them to die any time they come up to forage.

Orange oil sprayed on the ants will actually melt them.  Using pure orange oil, not cleaners containing orange oil, dilute it to specification and then spray it on the ants.  For more coverage, go ahead and pour a few gallons into the mound.  This is now used by many commercial pest control companies who wish to go the more organic round and do not wish to spray poisons.

As you can see, effective fire ant control has left some folks so desperate that they are willing to try anything to get rid of these pests.  Before taking some drastic measures, be sure to speak to an expert and do nothing that will endanger you, your family, or any pets or livestock you may have. A fire ant colony that has been stirred up and feels threatened is indeed a dangerous thing to have in your backyard.

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