From extremely painful to potentially deadly, fire ants are never welcome at a picnic. Named for their sting that feels like a burning sensation on the skin, fire ants are not native to North America. They were unintentionally introduced to the United State by cargo ships from Brazil and quickly spread to every state in the South. For any fire ant exterminator in Columbia TN, it is important to separate acceptable techniques from old wives tales and dangerous or unsuccessful methods of getting rid of these pests.
Pouring gasoline on a fire ant mound will kill the pests. Unfortunately, it will also kill any plants in the area and is unsafe for the environment in general. Running a lawnmower over a fire ant hill will destroy the hill, but in a couple of days, it will be rebuilt. Some people claim that if you pour grits on a fire ant hill, they will eat the grits and explode. While it’s true the ants will consume the grits, there is no subsequent explosion. Others recommend pouring a ring of liquid dish detergent around a fire ant mound, but there is no evidence that this gets rid of them.
Famous for their ability to survive extreme conditions, fire ants do not hibernate. They can survive extreme cold. They prefer moist soil, often choosing areas near watered lawns, riverbanks or highway shoulders. A mound can reach the height of sixteen to twenty-four inches. Besides attacking people, fire ants can cause damage to plants, telephone wires and seem to be attracted to electric currents.
Any Fire Ant Exterminator in Columbia TN will tell you it is a good idea to treat your entire yard with a broadcast ant bait, at least, twice a year, during warm months. Bait is an insecticide that insects sense to be food. Worker ants carry the bait back to the colony where it is consumed, breaking down the life cycle of the colony, resulting in its death. A broadcast bait should eliminate up to ninety percent of any infestation. If individual mounds remain, they should be treated with liquid insecticide. If you have any other questions about whether your technique is an old wives tale or truly a viable option for killing fire ants, visit us, we’ll tell you the truth.
