How to Use Home Pest Control Methods for Fire Ants
Fire ants are an aggressive and dangerous pest. Should they invade a lawn or garden, it is important to get rid of them as soon as possible. While hiring a professional is the method many people use, it is also possible to get rid of the fire ant problem using home pest control methods.
What You Will Need
- Commercial fire ant bait
- Borax
- Peanut butter, corn syrup, or granulated sugar
- Examine your yard to have an idea of what type of problem you are up against. Is there only one fire ant mound or are there multiple mounds? In many cases the appearance of one mound will mean that there are others.
- Decide whether you want to use natural methods or commercial methods for ridding your lawn of the fire ants. Natural methods can be a good choice if you worry about accidentally poisoning other ants and animals. It is also important to remember that in order to completely rid yourself of the problem, you must kill the queen.
Commercial Baits
- Purchase commercial bait for home use from a home improvement store.
- Lay out the bait according to the directions on the package.
- Reapply as needed.
Natural Baits
- Mix together your chosen natural bait mixture. Options for mixtures include peanut butter and borax, granulated sugar and borax or corn syrup and borax.
- Spread the bait around the fire ant mound. You will want to spread it around the mound in a circle that measures anywhere between one and three feet. Make sure not to spread it out too concentrated; this can result in fire ants not taking the bait.
Additional Information
- Try not to kill ants other than fire ants. These ants help to provide a natural defense against fire ants because help to slow down the infestation of fire ants.