How to Get Rid of Fire Ants: What Not to Do to Stop an Infestation

Fire ants are smart, clever, and downright annoying if they make your lawn their home. There are plenty of DIY suggestions and old wives’ tales to stop an infestation, but do any of them actually work?

Today, we’re taking a look at some of the most common DIY fire ant “remedies” people have used at home to see why each method is ineffective.

Method #1: Pouring Boiling Water on Fire Ant Hills

One approach people have relied on to get rid of the fire ants in their yard is to pour boiling hot water on the colony.

But should you pour boiling water on an ant hill to destroy the colony?

No.

For starters, handling boiling water from the stove or even the fire pit to the ant hill is dangerous. It’s possible to drop the pot, spill water, trip, or suffer a related incident that can lead to far more bodily harm than intended.

Secondly, boiling water may eliminate a percentage of the fire ants in the colony, up to 60%. However, it rarely eradicates all of the ants. In order to tackle every fire ant within the ant hill, you’ll need a lot of boiling water. Chances are it will require multiple trips back and forth between your kitchen and the colony, increasing the possibility of injuring yourself in the process.

Plus, fire ants are resilient. Any that were not killed off by the water can begin to rebuild their colony and re-form mound(s) in your yard, making the boiling water method ineffective.

Lastly, boiling water tends to kill the vegetation under or around the ant hill. From grasses to flowers, you could be destroying some of the plant life in your yard.

 Method #2: Pouring Baking Soda and Vinegar on Fire Ant Hills

It can be fun to watch the chemical reaction that occurs when baking soda is mixed with vinegar. This combination is often used for children’s science experiments, kitchen and bathroom cleaning, and fire ant control.

But should you pour baking soda and vinegar on a fire ant hill to destroy the colony?

No.

Ants that are in the direct path of the baking soda and vinegar may die off, and other ants may be deterred from the odor this combination produces. However, it’s not effective at eradicating the entire colony or driving them out of your yard completely. It’s not even effective at getting rid of the majority of the colony.

Ants that survive the vinegar and baking soda can work to rebuild their colony or move to another area of the yard and start over.

Save your vinegar and baking soda for summer recipes or homemade household cleaning products—don’t waste them on the ants outside.

Method #3: Pouring Uncooked Grits on Fire Ant Hills

Grits are a breakfast staple here in Middle Georgia, and they are a crucial ingredient for dishes like cheesy shrimp and grits. Another thing people use grits for is fire ant control—they’ll pour uncooked grits on the mound in hopes that it will destroy the colony.

But should you pour uncooked grits on a fire ant hill to destroy the colony?

No.

The theory is that the ants will ingest the uncooked grits, which will then swell up in their bodies and kill them from within. The only problem is that adult worker ants cannot eat solid foods. They don’t have the teeth or mouthparts needed to take a bite of a single grit. The larvae are able to eat solid foods and pass it along to adult ants, but such action is not enough for the grit method to be effective when it comes to fire ant control.

Make tasty meals with your grits—don’t waste them on the fire ants outside.

Method #4: Pouring Peppermint Oil on Fire Ant Hills

Peppermint oil smells delightful to humans but is a proven repellant for many types of animals and insects. Birds, mice, roaches, spiders, and all sorts of creatures turn the other way when they smell a peppermint plant or peppermint oil ahead. Ants are also repulsed by peppermint oil when it’s around.

But should you pour peppermint oil on a fire ant hill to destroy the colony?

No.

Although peppermint oil repels ants, it certainly does not eradicate them. Applying peppermint oil to a fire ant mount could, in theory, drive them away from that area. However, they are still able to rebuild somewhere else on your lawn.

Save the peppermint oil for your oil diffuser—don’t waste it on the ants outside.

Additional Methods that Do Not Work as Effective Fire Ant Control

There are lots of methods out there that people say treat the fire ants in your yard, but we know just how ineffective they are. These additional methods include:

• Aspartame
• Bleach
• Cayenne pepper
• Cinnamon
• Club soda
• Dish soap
• Molasses
• Orange oil
• Plaster of Paris
• Salt

And more.

So, What Does Work to Get Rid of Fire Ants? A Call to Mid Georgia Turf Solutions.

Mid Georgia Turf Solutions offers highly effective fire ant control to keep your lawn free of mounds and your family safe from painful bites. Our fire ant control services target the entire colony, eliminating a current infestation and helping ensure a new infestation doesn’t start up somewhere else in your yard. If you’re facing fire ants this season, schedule a fire ant control service today: 478-992-5705

Mid Georgia Turf Solutions provides essential lawn care to homeowners and property managers throughout the Middle Georgia area. We service customers in and around:

• Barnesville, GA
• Bolingbroke, GA
• Bonaire, GA
• Byron, GA
• Centerville, GA
• Covington, GA
• Eatonton, GA
• Fayetteville, GA
• Forsyth, GA
• Fort Valley, GA
• Gray, GA
• Griffin, GA
• Hampton, GA
• Jackson, GA
• Juliette, GA
• Kathleen, GA
• Knoxville, GA
• Lizella, GA
• Macon, GA
• Manchester, GA
• McDonough, GA
• Milledgeville, GA
• Monticello, GA
• Newnan, GA
• Perry, GA
• Sparta, GA
• Stockbridge, GA
• Thomaston, GA
• Warner Robins, GA
• Zebulon, GA