How to Get Rid of Fire Ants: 10 way to kill ants and fire ants in your garden (Review 2023)

What are the Fire ants?

Fire ants belong to the genus Solenopsis in the family Fromicidae that are widely spread in the Southern and Central US along with their presence in some temperature areas of North America whereas above 200 species of the Genus are found across the world. The most widely spread species in the Genus is Solenopsis invicta that was brought to the US is the result of the commodity trade and human interaction from South America. Many ants bite using their mandibles and are known to secrete formic acid that causes severe irritation on the human skin whereas workers in the group are notoriously famous for damaging stored food grain, potted and garden plants and stinging hen and chicken including pets.

If you facing any type of serious issue while facing fire ants and interested to know how to get rid of fire ants permanently? here are some quick remedies for their effective control.

How to Get Rid of Ants and Fire ants?

The elimination of red ants, Broad-headed ants, and fire ants together is equally important if you have an infestation of any type mentioned here. The majority of the baits that kill fire ants may not be effectively killing all other strains of ants present in your house or outdoor. The best solution is to treat them away from the home where they are present in their mounds. Try out this insecticide that will kill them while they are in their mounds and will never let them come back until the next season.

#1 Talstar Pro (Chemical – Editors’ Choice)

This insecticide contains 7.9% of bifenthrin and is highly effective against all strain of ants in your outdoor garden.
just add concentrate on the mound and thoroughly apply water afterward. This liquid penetrates deep down to mounds and kills all types of ants inside their hives.

#2 Fertilome- Fire Ant Killer (Natural – Editors’ Choice)

Fertilome Ant killer contains 0.015% Spinosad that is highly effective as safe if you are supposed to kill fire ants, carpenter ants, and red ants on your favorite gardening greens, vegetables, and fruits plants. It kills both the Queens and exterminates their mounds within 24 hours of application. The best solution if you are interested to know How to Get Rid of Ants on Cannabis Plants?
Fertilome ant killer has no odors and doesn’t need water if you are trying on grass turf, pastures, ornamental plants and landscapes whereas it is equally good for fruit plants and the Cannabis if you are them in your outdoor garden. This pack is sufficient to treat a 900 to 1000 square meter area.
Covers Up To 10,000 sq. ft.

#3 AMDRO Fire Ant Bait

Amdro bait contains 0.73 % of active ingredient (Hydramethylnon). Considering it was food for them, fire ants take it back to mound to share it with other ants and the Queen. The Bait has a natural delay that doesn’t kill the carrying ants, instantly. Once, it is eaten by the Queen and worker ants, they die at the spot. In results, the entire mound is finished.
The Queen is killed within a week after it has swallowed the bait while the rest of the ants in soil under the mound are killed after 2 weeks of its application. You need to sprinkle 4-5 teaspoons around the mound whereas watering the bait is not required for better results. Now the question arises that How to get rid of fire ants in flower pots? simply spread the bait around your flower pots, that’s it. You are done as they will not be able to harm your precious plants until the bait is there.

#4 All Natural Ant Repellent

This natural Repellent is derived from Cedarwood, Lemongrass, and Neem that can be applied to the places infested with higher populations of fire ants without fearing its residual effects, indoor.
application at the point of emergence, passage trail or on their nest performs better when applied at night for continuous 5-7 days. Later continue using weekly once they have vanished from the scene will keep them this stuff away from you. Be sure repellents work to deter ants and don’t kill them at the spot to make a litter and create odors indoor.

#5 Advion Fire Ant Bait

Advion fire ant bait is very effective and fast-acting for the reasons it contains Indoxacarb that is a long-lasting residual insecticide in the outdoor conditions if you are having fire ants in your garden on potted plants or garden beds. The invasive fire ants get killed in 3-5 working days leaving no chance for their reappearance at the treated places.
How to kill fire ants? seems no problem if you apply it directly on the mounds or broadcast at the most familiar places, they are wondering. Its 1.5 pounds is needed to cover about half an acre if you are treated fire ants in your lawn, grass turf or yard. It can be applied around potted plants and garden beds. Be careful to apply directly to the leaves of the plants due to strong residual effects.

#6 Ortho Fire Ant Mound Treatment

Another good option if you want to know how to get rid of fire ants in plants? It is advisable to search mounds near the garden beds or plants and apply directly over the mounds for effective control.
Applies directly to the mound and water afterward so that it permeates deep down to colony to workers and the Queen ant.
This treatment contains Bifenthrin that is highly effective against all types of ants including fire ants and red ants that are probably spreading from some unattended yard or lawn in the neighborhood. Keep the bait away from the roots of the edible plants in your garden. Applying it on the mounds and watering subsequently is strongly recommended for the effective killing of all types of ants.

#7 BlackJack All-Natural Ant Killer Spray

This non-toxic, natural formula kills all types of ants on direct contact. It contains an essential oil that emits light but decent natural odor and can directly be sprayed over the bodies of the ants including fire ants, carpenter ants, and red ants, indoors. You can use it in the kitchen, patios, washrooms and sitting lobby without the fear of toxins or residual effects that common insecticides are made of.
The sprayer comes in a ready to use bottle and you can trigger it once the fire ants are noticed on your potted plants while you are at the liberty to use it indoors without any fear.

How do you identify fire ants?

Fire ants have variable sizes about 1/8th of inch to 1/4th of an inch while all other ants have the uniform size, when present while, their heavy infestation can be noticed by the size of the mounds they built outdoors at an unattended or the neglected place. Their stinging behavior also popularizes them among the homeowners and gardeners that fell pray to them often.
If you disturb them, they are ready to charge you instantly and if bitten, their stings may feel if you were burnt and that’s the reason they are named after. Another characteristic is the type of their mounds that don’t have openings on the top like many other native species but they enter their mounds through mines located in the corners of the mounds. The height of the mounds may sometimes reach as high as 18 inches at the locations, they were least disturbed.

How do you identify ants on cannabis plant?

If your Cannabis plants are over infested with Aphids then there is a need to look into the ant’s presence as well because aphids provide them with their favorite feast called honeydew. You may notice them in the new buds and tender shoots while after taking honeydew they would probably move to the root zone of the Cannabis plants where they may cause a serious threat to plant health and yield, ultimately.

Are fire ants dangerous?

Yes, definitely. The gardeners stepping onto their mounds accidentally have the bitter experiences to be bitten repeatedly while few of them had developed severe allergies, burning skins that later on turned into water-filled blisters causing them severe irritations at the site they were stung.

Signs of fire Ant Infestation

Most common signs of fire ant infestations are the presence of the earthen mounds in any corner of the garden, unattended spot and on the turfgrass, outdoors. They can also be found in the kitchen waste or at the places where food grains are stored especially check sugar pots and the places that are humid and poorly ventilated inside the home. Their heavy infestations in the outdoors tend them to search for the food and they swarm inside where they may sting the homeowners if neglected.

Are Fire Ants Good or Bad?

Overall, ants help us in the rapid decomposition of organic waste that otherwise takes time to decompose if they were not present. All sort of ants builds mounds while in making them they aerate our soil and reduce the soil compaction. They live on the dead matters and eat up everything they find in their food search. Their major food consists of insects that are otherwise pests for the crops and considerably reduce their presence in the field. In the agriculture field, they are reported to reduce the infestations of mites, termites, caterpillars, and crop borers when present in large numbers. They also live on the eggs of few pests whereas the only thing bad associated with fire ants is their repeatedly stinging behavior to which homeowners and gardeners are afraid of. Collectively, they are a good addition to the fertility of the soil and helping us in the ecosystem.

What is the symbiotic relationship between aphids and ants?

Many species of the ants are considered to have a mutualistic relationship with aphids and blue-winged caterpillars that feed and defend each other from environmental extremes and let them hibernate in their colonies under their mounds. One such typical relation is seen between aphids and a variety of ant species. The aphids are famous for secreting their honeydew on the undersides of the leaves that are used to feed ants while ants take aphids to their underground hidings during the night to save from predators and take them back to plant leaves, next morning. It is also established that ants collect their eggs to place them in their mounds for overwintering while hatched is conveyed to the plants next spring. Another such relationship is also noticed between ants and blue-winged caterpillars. The honeydew from this caterpillar is also desired for feeding ants while they take the caterpillar into their hives during the fall, pupates there and crawls back to plants.

What home remedy will kill fire ants?

Here are simple and easy to prepare remedies that will deter and kill ants if they are heavily infested around your garden or home.

#8 Arm & Hammer Baking Soda

Add equal parts of water, baking soda, and natural vinegar and use the mixture to pour on the mounds in your garden or trails they are making inside your house.
This is simply a deterrent and will not kill on contact. They are supposed to leave their mound that you can destroy without fearing being bitten by them.

#9 Salt, Water, Sugar & Bran mix

You can make this solution at home by mixing 65% bran, 10% sugar and 25% of Salt and water mix. Together these substances make a good paste that acts as a strong attractant for ants while they would love to carry it to their mounds. Spread this bait to the areas where they are heavily infested such as mounds, creeping trials and any other places in or around your house.

#10 Himalayan Pink Salt Fine

Table salt can be used to kill ants effectively. Once applied to the bodies of the ants, they get dehydrated and die in response. While applying, you can make a 10% solution of salt with water and spray over the affected areas or trails.
Another option is to pour finely grounded salt over the bodies of the ants and they will die instantly.

How to get rid of fire ants in your garden?

There are several options to get rid of fire ants in any garden but the best ants’ bait would be one with Spinosad or Pyriproxyfen that puts no residue on the edible greens and Cannabis that you are growing there.

#11 Esteem Ant Bait

Esteem and bait belong to the IGR group and its main function is to break the reproductive cycle in ants and other pests in your garden on edible plants including Cannabis and vegetables. It causes the ants to starve and die while it is effective on the large colonies and mounds existing in your garden.
You can apply it freely on vine plants, vegetables, fruit trees, herbs, and Cannabis plants during the moderate temperatures.

#12 EcoSMART organic insecticide for the botanical garden

Its botanical ingredients are completely safe on the gardening greens and there is no harm for the pets or children living around. It is synthetically prepared and can be applied directly to the foliage of the entire edible plants.
Ihe product comes in ready to use containers and can be sprayed on vegetables, fruit trees, vines and the Cannabis plant in your edible garden.