Curses! The fire ants are back!

[htownpalmer]

I live in Houston, where fire ants are a way of life.

Below is a picture of a potted Bismarckia Nobilis.  After growing very fast last summer, it has only put out one new spear (two keep coming, but have yet to open up) this summer.  

Earlier this year, I chased away a colony of red ants by flooding the pot, opting not to put any pesticides in the pot.  Well, they're back!

Questions:  Are fire ants harmful?  Should I use pesticides?  If so, what ones are ok to use on a potted palm?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

[Tad]

just top dress with any old ant killer from garden/hardware store, wal mart depot etc. etc. and wa laa they singin the pink panther tune...dead ant,dead ant, dead ant,deadant,dead ant ,dead aaaaaaant

[metalfan]

I have found the best thing to use FOR MYSELF is the powdered form of Orthene. Its called Ortho Fire Ant Killer. Its a white powder. A tablespoon os all you need.

I stopped using Amdro and other "bait" forms because they are made with sweet stuff (corn syrup, etc) to attract the ants and they look attractive to small ground feeding birds. Not good for the birds, poor things.

I don't ever treat ants out in the open spaces of the 5 acres, I figure they will leave me alone if I leave them alone. But I do treat inside the greenhouse if I get an infestation, and I do treat individual potted plants that become home to a colony.

[MattyB]

I'm trying baiting now.  Seems like a better idea than spraying poison.  Apparently when you spray and kill a bunch it only makes then stop feeding and go breed some more.  Throw the bait inside of a plastic bottle and poke some holes so the birds don't get at it.  Our Argentine ant problem is of epic proportions.  They're disturbing the food webs and killing all other types of ants (and anything else they come across).  I haven't seen a red ant for years.

[Davidl]

The granuals work better anyway. nuke nuke nuke till there dead I always say.

[palmislandRandy]

Try a homemade remedy. A couple of tablespoons of liquid dishwash detergent in a gallon of water. Pour through pot, then flush with fresh water in a few hours. (you may need more than a gallon).  Works for me   Randy

[Dave-Vero]

"Diatomaceous earth is a nontoxic insecticide mined from the fossilized silica shell remains of diatoms (single-celled or colonial algae). It absorbs the waxy layer on insect bodies, abrades the skin, and dries out the insect.

Diatomaceous earth occurs as a dust, and is sometimes combined with pyrethrin. It may control slugs, millipedes and sow bugs, as well as soft-bodied insects like aphids. It has low mammalian toxicity. Two kinds of diatomaceous earth exist, a "natural grade" and a filtering agent in swimming pools, but the "natural grade" is the one used as an insecticide."edis.ifas.ufl.edu/IN197

[DoomsDave]

I take about a gallon or two of liquid diazinon (or its equivalent du jour), a drop or two of dish detergent (not soap).

First, I soak the soil of the pot with water with a bit of detergent in it (helps soak through dry spots); then I immediately follow up with the bug killer.

Death from Above . . . .

[SunnyFl]

termidor.

used it years ago and the fire ants disappeared.

[Alicehunter2000]

Try peeing on them..........they don't like that very much. Seriously.

[Tad]

nothing a little organochlorines wont cure, forever:)

[eastern.nurseries]

chlordane, lindane, dieldrin , endosulphan . Geeez I miss the old days .  Napalm in the mornings.

[DoomsDave]

(eastern.nurseries @ Sep. 06 2007,00:15)

QUOTE

chlordane, lindane, dieldrin , endosulphan . Geeez I miss the old days .  Napalm in the mornings.

Ahem:

"Nothing like napalm, in the morning, baby!

Nothing like death the smell o'victry . . . "

A long day, sorry .

[fastfeat]

This is where my pond pays for itself. I toss infested plants in the water for an hour or so. The baby Tilapias and oscars get a great meal...

[palmmermaid]

I use Ortho fire ant powder.  It seems to work very well.  And I don't have to worry about my horses eating it.  But it really stinks!

I have also used diatomaceous earth.  It works well.  Again, it is pet friendly.  They are a constant problem.  Even if I prowl the yard every week, they still come upp with new mounds.  I am sure they come from the neighbors and from the vacant lots around here.  I am starting to see some of the white-footed ants.  I think they run the fire ants away.

[MattyB]

(Alicehunter2000 @ Sep. 05 2007,18:47)

QUOTE

Try peeing on them..........they don't like that very much. Seriously.

I like it.  The personal touch.  I pee in gopher holes just to spite them.

[eastern.nurseries]

That Orthene smells like Chinese fart gas and knocks them dead real quick.

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

I tried the Ortho Fire Ant Killer.  It works great for killing a single mound, which your potted Bizzie would be, but out in an open field you can see that they just pull up stakes and locate 5 or 10 feet away.  Because of the Warden's guard dog, Sparky, we needed to get rid of them entirely.  I went back to Amdro and haven't seen a mound in months.

The city here uses a growth inhibitor in their parks that seems to be very successful.  I don't know the name of the product but it works by interrupting the life cycle of the little buggers so that new generations never see adulthood.  I think it is a once a year application.

Jerry

[htownpalmer]

Thanks very much for all of your replies.  

While I was at work, my wife toasted them all with the Ortho ant killer.  From your responses, the bizzie will be fine!