Fire Ant Elimination

Fire ants are moving further and further into Tennessee each year. Having a fire ant presence developing in your yard can cause a lot of stress. Because they’re so protective of their colonies, accidentally disturbing their nest or trying to get rid of them could lead to a fury of stings. Because of the severity of symptoms that fire ant stings can cause, ranging from dizziness and nausea to throat swelling and breathing troubles, it’s crucial to learn how to get rid of fire ants safely and quickly. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture also has a lot of detailed information on these pests. Read on to find out how to get rid of fire ants from the experts at Johnson Pest Control!

How to Prevent Fire Ants in Your Yard

Fire ant hills can quickly form in your yard without you noticing. Many people don’t find out about the fire ant yards in their yard until they stumble into their nest and end up with them crawling up their legs. The best way to avoid this is to strip your property of what they need to survive. Here are a few strategies to take:

• Always check with your landscaper or nursery when bringing new trees, bushes, or mulch into your yard that there is no presence of fire ants.
• Trim back your bushes, trees, and plants to eliminate any opportunities for shaded shelter. 
• Pick all of your ripe fruit and collect dropped fruit to prevent them from finding accessible food.
• Use mulch sparingly or carefully to avoid affording fire ants a source of moisture. Make sure to keep it away from the foundation of your home.

If you do find small mounds of dirt popping up on your lawn or elsewhere in your yard, inspect them for red ants. If you do find out that it’s a fire ant hill, it’s important to act quickly to get rid of it. 

Getting Rid of Fire Ants on Your Own

Many people look to natural methods to get rid of fire ants when they find a colony in their yard. Here are the two most popular natural fire ant control tactics:

• Diatomaceous earth: When ants walk across diatomaceous earth, the sharp, tiny crystals crack their exoskeletons and drain their moisture, dehydrating and killing them over time. This strategy can take out a portion of a colony, but you have to be very strategic with your placement to eliminate an entire population of fire ants.
• Boiling water: Pouring boiling water down an ant hill will eliminate all of the ants within. However, it will also take out any plants whose roots are hit. 

You might also look for store-bought pest control products to get rid of fire ants, but these can be dangerous to children, pets, and plants when used incorrectly. Make sure to talk to a professional exterminator about using insecticides safely.

Fire Ant Control in East TN

If you want a safe and reliable way to get rid of fire ants in your yard, reach out to your local ant exterminators. Our team at Johnson Pest Control is familiar with the habits and patterns of all local ant species in East TN. We can get rid of your fire ant hills, identify the reasons for their arrival, and teach you how to prevent them on your own going forward. Reach out today to get started!