Fire ants and a Dog

12 years ago

I'm in zone 9 and we've had some very hot summers lately with the result of my yard basically turning into the Sahara desert. This has increased the amount of fire ant colonies dramatically. In previous years they weren't bad and I opted to not treat. Now it's overwhelming with all the sand. We can't plant or even walk the yard without being bit. Problem is, I have a dog who likes to lick up everything in the yard with an unusual scent. I'm afraid to put down poison. Anyone know any natural fire ant killers? Or at least non toxic to pets? Thanks!

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Comments (4)

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
12 years ago
There are options on the market that are safe to use around animals, as long as you read and follow the directions. You'll have to become a label reader, as a matter of fact, in order to find these products in your garden center as there are several manufacturers using the same active ingredients.

My favorite fire ant bait is Amdro, which I won't recommend for you, even though the ants usually gather it up from the surface of the soil and take it down into their chambers within a few minutes. Your dog is not likely to even see it.

Anyway, I am going to strongly suggest that you look for the active ingredients I am going to list, but only in a BAIT formulation. Not a liquid, not a surface killer, but a BAIT. It will be labeled that way.

The active ingredients are Spinosad (spinosyns) and Avermectin. Both are derived from naturally occurring organisms that will affect the fire ants, but not your dog.

As I said, several companies make their own brands using these ingredients, each with different names, so you'll have to read the label. Whatever you do, don't ask the 'help' at the big box stores to point you in the right direction. Perhaps if you ask for "organic" fire ant killers, they'll understand what you mean.

Neither of these baits will cause instant death of the ants. Neither will the Amdro, for that matter. However, they work slowly but surely to kill the entire colony. You will notice their absence in a few days or weeks.

I strongly suggest that you try to kill the ants, rather than move them from one place to another. Boiling water (useless against fire ant colonies), water from the hose, grits, orange peel, and all of the other familiar ant remedies won't remedy your problem.

Fire ants can be dangerous when they begin showing up all over the yard. It's important to keep the population at a reasonable level and we can do that without toxic chemicals.
Kimmsr
12 years ago
The people at Texas A & M have spent a lot of time studying Fire Ants and their control and they do have the best information available, information that almost every other web site about Fire Ants copies.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fire Ant Control
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americais1984
12 years ago
My absolute favorite method:

Fight Fire with Fire,

Take a shovel full of fire ant hill 1 and bring it to fire ant hill 2. Take a shovel full of fire ant hill 2 and dump it on fire ant hill 1. They will kill each other and in the morning you'll have a pile of dead ants on each hill. This requires a couple of tries before you destroy the whole colony, and you might get stung once or twice if you're not quick and careful, but it sure is fun - not to mention satisfying!
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
12 years ago
I know that this method is great for its entertainment value (I've watched it myself), but there is no evidence that this will work to kill either colony, let alone both of them. It does appear to make them move, though.

Sometimes, simply getting them to move out of a people- or pet- populated area is enough. But when they become a real threat to safety or plants, then they gotta go!

Fire ants and a Dog

Comments (4)

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7

Kimmsr

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