Solenopsis

Insects

Fire ants get their name from their especially painful sting or bite. The red imported fire ant (RIFA) is an invasive species from Brazil and is known to be more aggressive than other species of ants.

Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta. History: The red imported fire ant (RIFA) is native to the state of Mato Grosso in Brazil. It was introduced into the United States at Mobile, Alabama, about 1940. The exact date and method of introduction is not known.

Some fire ant colonies only have one queen. Fire ant queens mate with male fire ants (called drones), produce thousands of eggs and are highly protected by the female worker ants (the ones you see outside of the nest). Some male and female fire ants are born with wings.

The most effective way to kill fire ants is to use the two-step method: baiting and mound drench. The first step involves using bait to kill the queen and other worker ants deep in the colony. The second step is to use insecticide for targeted treatments on the mounds.

Mix equal parts vinegar, baking soda and water and pour the mixture into the ant colony or spray it in high-ant-traffic areas. The strong scent of vinegar will repel the ants, but you may have to smell the vinegar for a short period of time.

Pouring 2 to 3 gallons of very hot or boiling water on the mound will kill ants about 60% of the time. Otherwise, the ants will probably just move to another location. Very hot or boiling water will kill the grass or surrounding vegetation that it is poured upon.

Here are the effective ways that you can use to kill fire ants without chemicals: Dish soap/liquid and water: Make a solution of one part of dish soap and two parts of water. Shake the solution well. You can spray this solution on the ants to suffocate them and thus killing them.

Does salt kill fire ants? Salt home remedies are intended to dehydrate the ant colony. But like dish soap, salt will not kill the whole colony and does not directly target the queen. Salt can also cause significant damage to the surrounding vegetation.

Epsom salt can be a very effective pesticide, and it can be used against ants specifically.

Fire ants are extremely aggressive creatures that attack when provoked. Bleach is one of the home remedies to kill fire ants inside and outside, but it doesn’t work in all situations. Fire ants are a common pest around the house.

If you see ants, wipe them up with a solution of 50-50 vinegar and water, or straight vinegar. White vinegar kills ants and also repels them.

The Oil Effect A 2014 study from the Faculty of Applied Sciences at the University of Technology in Perlis, Malaysia, concludes that cinnamon essential oil yields positive results in both repellency and insecticidal activity, meaning it can actually burn and kill ants when directly applied.

Ants hate cayenne pepper. Black pepper will work just as well too. Locate the source of the ant infestation problem, sprinkle some pepper around that area and if possible, create a wall that will stop the ants from accessing your household.

“The home remedy of spreading one cup of used coffee grounds over a fire ant mound failed to kill the fire ants,” she said. Brown said while coffee grounds make for good composting material, her research showed that when put to the test, they are simply ineffective toward killing fire ants.

Although coffee grounds do not kill ants, they do repel many ant species. If you feel ants are a major threat to pets, plants and people, hot coffee dumped directly on the anthill will kill some ants that come into contact with the hot liquid.

Cayenne pepper or black pepper are hated by ants. You can also make a solution of pepper and water and spray it near the entrant areas. The pepper wouldn’t kill the ants but definitely deter them from returning to your house.

To kill the queen, you can find the nest and try to kill her directly, use ant killer or ant bait, or try a natural solution like borax or hot water….Try borax.

1. Place large drops of the baits in the middle of a trail of ants, including any walls, railings, or sidewalks.
2. Don’t place borax in the garden or on soil.

Combine 1 part baking soda with 1 part powdered sugar. The sugar attracts the ants, and the baking soda is what kills them: It reacts with the acid in their digestive system and they explode.

A mixture of dish soap and water: Make a mixture of dish soap or dishwashing liquid, put in a spray bottle and shake it well. Spray it on the ants. The solution will stick to the ants and the dish soap suffocates the ants to death.

5) Coca-Cola is a bug killer. The sweet tasty flavor in Coca-Cola attracts bugs like cockroaches and ants and will eventually kill them when they come in contact with the powerful drink. The acid in Coke also kills slugs and snails.

The secret to getting rid of your ant problem is something called Borax, a 100% natural product found in most ant-control products. You can find it in most supermarkets pretty easily. Soak the Borax mixture up with cotton balls, and then place the cotton balls near any trails the ants have established in your home.

Mix equal parts baking soda and powdered sugar and place in a small lid or shallow container in the area where you’re seeing ants. When ants nibble baking soda, it reacts with an acidic material in their stomachs and kills them. This bait can help kill ants in the nest.

Flour. Wondering how to get rid of ants without dangerous pesticides? Sprinkle a line of flour along the backs of pantry shelves and wherever you see ants entering the house. Repelled by the flour, ants won’t cross over the line. This is the best way to get rid of ants at home.

Kill ants using alcohol for a natural pest control system. Although there are many commercial insecticides that can kill the ants, you can do the same job using a mixture made with rubbing alcohol. This gives you a natural way to kill the ants, without worrying about harmful chemicals entering your home.

Can Ant Die From Consuming Alcohol? There are no proper evidence that proves and ants can die from consuming too much alcohol. However they can die if they great drowned in alcohol while trying to consume it.

Yes, ants can be attracted to alcohol. In fact, ants prefer light to moderate alcohol that does not emit a strong odor.