How to Get Rid of Fire Ants

A fire ant infestation is a pest problem that you want to avoid. These ultra-protective ants will bite and sting anything that they consider to be a threat to their colony. Because so many people are allergic to fire ant stings, it’s not uncommon to experience dizziness, nausea, swelling, and breathing issues after an encounter with them. This is why it’s important to understand how to keep fire ants away. Learn how you can on your own with Leo’s Pest Control in Bristol TN!

How to Prevent Fire Ants in Your Yard

Fire ant hills can seem to pop up in your yard out of nowhere. It can be tough to prevent them, but you can do so by denying them of the necessities they need to live. Try these strategies for starters:

1. Trim your trees, plants, and bushes regularly
2. Pick ripe fruit from any fruit trees and collect dropped fruit from the ground
3. Spread any mulch out evenly and keep it away from your foundation to prevent moisture buildup

Keep your eye out for dirt mounds popping up in your yard, too. Red ants scurrying around a dirt mound is a sure sign of a fire ant colony.

Can I Get Rid of Fire Ants By Myself?

People often ask us about ways to kill fire ants naturally when they find a nest in their yard. There are two main natural methods of killing fire ants that you may wish to try:

• Diatomaceous earth: Ants that walk across diatomaceous earth break their exoskeletons due to contact with the sharp, tiny crystals. This causes them to lose moisture and die of dehydration.
• Boiling water: Pouring a pot of boiling water down an ant hill will surely out any ants living within. However, you have to be careful about boiling water, because it will kill plants, too. This is not the best option for fire ant hills in your lawn.

Some people decide to go with store-bought insecticide products to get rid of fire ants. These are effective, but only if applied properly. Overuse can be damaging to children, pets, and plants. It’s always safest to contact an ant exterminator for advice before using store bought ant control products.

Avoiding Fire Ants in Bristol TN

If you want to be 100% sure that the fire ants are your property are gone and not coming back, talk to your local pest control company. At Leo’s Pest Control, we train our ant exterminators to deal with all kinds of ants around Bristol TN safely and specifically, refining our exhaustive extermination strategies to keep our customers’ properties secure and pest-free*. Contact us today for a free quote!