Fire Ant invasion

[fossis]

Thanks for the heads up!

This thread seemed to start down south, but the one info source was from LA county here in CA.

Them critters are scary! It would be tough to harvest crops if being attacked !

I'd be tempted to torch 'em if I ever saw 'em, but I like that Amdro method better. Kill em all !

Here's a bit of relief from those little monsters... Detecting at beach yesterday. Not much luck. A couple coins just dropped and rusty nails from burned pallets. NO ANTS !

I actually grew 'peas' in buckets because of rock ledges just below the surface , but before i noticed , the fire ants had eaten all the blooms.
A man who my wife works for, (always giving her veggies), said the ants ate his 'okra crop' this year, I'me afraid we're in for a long period of problems with these.

Fossis...............

 

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[River Rat]

Fossis,

That's true about the okra, try picking strawberries with a fire ant mound right under the plastic next to the plant. Do you know they'll eat plastic, rubber and whatever those inflatable swimming pools are made of.
I control them with 10% Sevin at least I try to control em. I'll get so mad and stir up the nest and sprinkle heavy with Sevin...instant death.

RR

 

[fossis]

Fossis,

That's true about the okra, try picking strawberries with a fire ant mound right under the plastic next to the plant. Do you know they'll eat plastic, rubber and whatever those inflatable swimming pools are made of.
I control them with 10% Sevin at least I try to control em. I'll get so mad and stir up the nest and sprinkle heavy with Sevin...instant death.

RR

I rolled out some 'tar paper' to stack some items on to keep them dry, under a shed, (on the ground), & they promptly built under the paper.
I left a paint roller pan on the ground for a few days after washing it, & they were building under it, they built under RR ties, I move them every few days.
I destroyed one mound (while detecting), that was five feet long.
The authorities are 'finally' getting concerned here, they are going to 'study the problem', & in a year or so, make their determination, (by that time they will be in Minnesota).

Fossis...............

 

[fossis]

Fossis
You still trying to kill these things?..Go back to my first post, Night time, small amount of gasoline (not a tanker full) straight thru the top and " DON'T KICK THE MOUND"... Trust me here, if there was another way to kill the little darlins that the EPA would approve someone here in Tx would be rich
Don

My neighbor has a 'white van' for sale, I may buy it, paint a sign that say's (Ant Busters), & go to work.

Fossis................

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Fossis
You still trying to kill these things?..Go back to my first post, Night time, small amount of gasoline (not a tanker full) straight thru the top and " DON'T KICK THE MOUND"... Trust me here, if there was another way to kill the little darlins that the EPA would approve someone here in Tx would be rich
Don

My neighbor has a 'white van' for sale, I may buy it, paint a sign that say's (Ant Busters), & go to work.

Fossis................

Remember Macmans post above

Messing with the nest, brood or queen simply means they take off for a few metres away using their extensive underground tunnel network - which can extend 20 yards or more away from the visible nest mound.

GAS and KERO will poison the soil they contact directly for decades (check out the EPA advice), and then leach their way into you and your neighbours' water supply, killing plants, fish, birds and eventually you too.
Use a combo IGR bait or indoxacarb according to the Texas Two Step method, and do get your neighbours to join in otherwise your time, money and effort are being way less efficiently used. And if you live in an area rated "fire ant free' make sure you observe plant quarantine regs when you buy or ship plants and high-risk materials and nag your councillors or reps to pull their fingers out. Fire ants are beatable, but not having them in the first place is infinitely preferable.


http://fireant.tamu.edu/

I use Andro and it seems to work.

 

[georgia girl]

We have been having a fire ant problem in n. georgia for at least 10 years. I have poured a pint of gasoline in a mound, let it set for about 15 minutes to let the fumes go thru the nest (gas vapors are heavy and will settle down into the nest) then I get a long, yes a very long stick and light the end of it and then ignite the fireant hill. be careful, sometimes nearby nest are connected.

As for the wood pecker, we had the same problem several years back, a wood pecker was ruining our facia board, just get a good plastic snake and lay it where the wood pecker is attacking your house. We ended up a couple of snakes on our roof near the areas the bird was going after. We also had barn swallows trying to nest under our front porch, the rubber snake took care of that problem too. They decided they didn't want to build a nest there after all.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

We have been having a fire ant problem in n. georgia for at least 10 years. I have poured a pint of gasoline in a mound, let it set for about 15 minutes to let the fumes go thru the nest (gas vapors are heavy and will settle down into the nest) then I get a long, yes a very long stick and light the end of it and then ignite the fireant hill. be careful, sometimes nearby nest are connected.

As for the wood pecker, we had the same problem several years back, a wood pecker was ruining our facia board, just get a good plastic snake and lay it where the wood pecker is attacking your house. We ended up a couple of snakes on our roof near the areas the bird was going after. We also had barn swallows trying to nest under our front porch, the rubber snake took care of that problem too. They decided they didn't want to build a nest there after all.

I wonder if the gas is safe to your water supply if you burn it away, as described?

I like the plastic snake or owl idea, no poison or gas involved.

 

[RON (PA)]

Fossis,

Sorry did not see your question (about Nicotine Tea) until now.


Nicotine Tea

Buy tobacco in bulk (the kind in the 1 lb plastic bags) and put it in a netting of some kind (old panty hose work well). Tie the panty hose in a knot and let it sit in 5 gallon of water for about 2 days (any longer and it will be foul beyond compare). Take the water and put it in a sprayer and sray the area. Just be careful. This insecticide works on all insects (good and bad). I have never used this on fire ants, but have used it on garden variety insects (aphids, etc) and it works well. If you use it in a vegetable garden, just wash the food good before you eat it. Hope it helps. Let me know if it works on the fire ants.

 

[Tin Nugget]

The 'South American Fire Ant' has invaded this area with a vengeance.

Welcome to the club! Seems like a new state or two gets added every year.

 

[fossis]

We have been having a fire ant problem in n. georgia for at least 10 years. I have poured a pint of gasoline in a mound, let it set for about 15 minutes to let the fumes go thru the nest (gas vapors are heavy and will settle down into the nest) then I get a long, yes a very long stick and light the end of it and then ignite the fireant hill. be careful, sometimes nearby nest are connected.

As for the wood pecker, we had the same problem several years back, a wood pecker was ruining our facia board, just get a good plastic snake and lay it where the wood pecker is attacking your house. We ended up a couple of snakes on our roof near the areas the bird was going after. We also had barn swallows trying to nest under our front porch, the rubber snake took care of that problem too. They decided they didn't want to build a nest there after all.

Welcome georgia girl, thanks for the input.

Fossis...........

 

[fossis]

Fossis,

Sorry did not see your question (about Nicotine Tea) until now.


Nicotine Tea

Buy tobacco in bulk (the kind in the 1 lb plastic bags) and put it in a netting of some kind (old panty hose work well). Tie the panty hose in a knot and let it sit in 5 gallon of water for about 2 days (any longer and it will be foul beyond compare). Take the water and put it in a sprayer and sray the area. Just be careful. This insecticide works on all insects (good and bad). I have never used this on fire ants, but have used it on garden variety insects (aphids, etc) and it works well. If you use it in a vegetable garden, just wash the food good before you eat it. Hope it helps. Let me know if it works on the fire ants.

Thanks Ron, I may try that, the only 'drawback' is the cost of Tobacco & gas both.

Fossis...............

 

[fossis]

The 'South American Fire Ant' has invaded this area with a vengeance.

Welcome to the club! Seems like a new state or two gets added every year.

Thanks I guess,

Fossis..............

 

[Montana Jim]

Well this subject has drawn some attention!

So - I post this... I hope his parents are proud...

[youtube=425,350]jaY7Iyfy4Po[/youtube]

 

[fossis]

Well this subject has drawn some attention!

So - I post this... I hope his parents are proud...

[youtube=425,350]jaY7Iyfy4Po[/youtube]

"You know they are'

Fossis...............

 

[texan connection]

They are smart too they all wait till the first wave is about Knee high, and then the leader says BITE,
Watch you electrical stuff from now on one yr they cost me about 500.00

 

[fossis]

They are smart too they all wait till the first wave is about Knee high, and then the leader says BITE,
Watch you electrical stuff from now on one yr they cost me about 500.00

My son had problems with his 'Heat pump', they had built in it.
I destroyed about 15 mounds today on a 'fossil hunt'.

Fossis..............

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

They get into the electrical contacts of outside A/C units. I had to replace many A/C contactors at work and got bit up doing it. You need to put poison around A/C condensing units to keep red ants out.

 

[fossis]

They get into the electrical contacts of outside A/C units. I had to replace many A/C contactors at work and got bit up doing it. You need to put poison around A/C condensing units to keep red ants out.

Some good advice.

Fossis.............

 

[treasureace14]

im allergic to them.
but when i find a mound i put karosine or whatever flamible liquid i have on it and light up.
or if i have fire crackers i stick em in and they say ka-bosh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Noodle]

The fire ants are a menace in Louisiana. I have dozens, if not hundreds, of mounds on my place. It costs a fortune to irridicate them. We complained to the government, because they've (the ants) been known to kill cattle and people.

When they sting, the site really hurts, then forms a small blister. Kinda like rubbing on a thistle.
At least in Louisiana, I have heard they will furnish NO killing remedy for the fire ants in the northern part of the state. The reason given was, "South Louisiana needs the fire ant to aerate the land of the sugar cane." Well...... there 'ya go.

Noodle