As any homeowner who has experienced a problem with ants, you already know that they are a nuisance pest, to begin with. Ants can potentially ruin food and other supplies in your pantry, along with creating small trails of debris within your home that can harness unwanted bacteria. We understand; you don’t want them inside your home.
However, what about a homeowner who has fire ants? Fire ants are a much more severe problem. Even though they tend to stay outside the perimeter of your home, their natural aggression towards outside predators, coupled with their ability to deliver a painful bite, can prevent you and your family from safely enjoying the outdoor space around your home. For this reason, fire ants are often at the top of the list for homeowners with ant problems.
If you are experiencing a fire ant infestation around your home, then keep reading to learn the best way to kill fire ants around your home. Learn to identify a fire ant colony and take the right steps to protect your family from a more severe fire ant infestation.
The Best Way To Kill Fire Ants in Your Home
As a new or existing homeowner experiencing a fire ant infestation, we’ve compiled a list to help you prevent severe infestation and avoid having to seek medical treatment if necessary.
Before we get into the list, you should know how to identify a fire ant first, mainly the invasive red imported fire ant or RIFA. They are easily identified by the large mounds they build in open lawns or fields. These mounds range from 10-24 inches across and 6-18 inches high.
The queen and worker ants have a reddish-brown head and waist with a black rear. Male ants are entirely black. These worker ants range from 1/16-1/4 inch in length. You may be able to identify a fire because of its stinger or its mandibles used for biting.
Okay, now onto the list:
1. Eliminate Entry Points To the Home
The best method for homeowners to prevent fire ants from building nests inside the home is to eliminate any large entry points where ants can enter. This may include using weep hole covers explicitly designed for fire ants or sealing entry points with caulk, spackling, or other sealants.
2. Treat Fire Ant Nests With an Insecticide or Bait
Another method you can try is an over the counter insecticide or fire ant bait. However, this puts you at risk of coming into direct contact with a nest as your approach it for setting bait or spraying directly. This method becomes more complicated if the fire ants are nesting inside your home because if you spray the perimeter of your home, it will merely keep them inside!
3. Spray Trails of Foraging Ants
Compared to the previous method mentioned, which we don’t recommend until a professional has been able to inspect and treat your home first, having a spray handy for killing trails of ants or stray ants inside your home can be highly effective as a short term preventative.
4. Seek Professional, Experienced Help
You do not want to wait to seek help with a fire ant infestation. We understand that homeowners may become desperate when trying to find do-it-yourself remedies to protect their home and family from fire ants once they are identified. These remedies often make the problems worse, and it is much easier to pick up the phone and contact a professional pest control service.
Looking for Help With Pest Control in Your Home?
We hope this article has helped you identify the best way to kill fire ants in and around your home.
With almost 20 years of experience in the pest control industry, Action Pest Solutions is designed around providing you with the best possible pest control solutions for your home. Do not hesitate to contact us right away with any questions or concerns you have with pests in your home.
Are you still interested in the latest news on pest control prevention tips? Then head over to another one of our blog posts for further information on how you can protect your home and family from pest infestations.
We look forward to helping you as soon as possible.
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