Controlling Fire Ants Near Your Home

Fire ants are an environmental hazard throughout most of the southern US, peppering yards with little clay mounds and aggressive insects.

There are dozens of species of fire ants across the globe, the perpetrator in our area being the "red imported fire ant." This insect has been categorized as an invasive species to the US, having been brought in inadvertently about 70 years ago on a cargo ship from Brazil.

A fire ant bite causes intense itching, welts, and swelling. In extreme cases, individuals attacked by fire ants can die from exposure to the fire ants' venom. Dizziness and disorientation, shortness of breath, and vomiting are indicators that can precede a potentially fatal anaphylactic incident.

Southern Living contributor Steve Bender, addressed DIY remedies for these tiny, red menaces in his June 19 "The Grumpy Gardner" column.

Bender tests out home remedies like grits, orange peels, and boiling water, commercial products like diatomaceous earth and gasoline. He determined that, currently, the most effective product available to combat the colonies of fire ants you may be contending with in your yard is a season-long, full lawn treatment such as Ortho Fire Ant Killer or GardenTech Over 'n' Out.