My question is specifically about Fire Ants...

Last year my entire yard was infested with fire ants. I had at least 30+ mounds in my backyard alone. But I also had them in the front and side yards as well as along my driveways and walkways. Ugggh!

A couple of my neighbors suggested a pesticide that I could buy at my local hardware store and essentially "sift" it onto the mounds. I don't think they understood that my yard was INFESTED(not just a couple mounds) and I need a method of dealing with them on this level.

I've heard that if they are not completely eradicated they essentially send signals to other mounds causing an attack. Does anyone know if this is true? Based on what I'd read and heard from various sources, I was reluctant to go out there and not treat the problem completely fearing I'd make the situation worse. I got attacked a couple times while mowing my lawn and don't want it to be as bad again this year. My son is now walking and will be 2 this Spring so I really want him to be able to enjoy and play in our yard safely. Which also adds to the problem: what's a way to treat them that won't be harmful to my toddler?

Does anyone have any tips to get rid of them or would I be better of biting the bullet for a professional service?? If I have a professional come out, how many times will they have to treat the yard? I want to know how many treatments to expect because I can't afford to have someone coming out every week for the whole summer. Is there a time of year that would be 'best' to treat them? I was in the yard a couple wks ago and saw a couple active mounds so I don't think they all died off during the winter.

Clough

Hi, nikosmom!

At the level that you're at with the infestation, it probably is best to call a professional. However, there is quite a bit of information out there on the Internet about getting rid of them, and maybe there's something that would work for you.

Getting Rid of Fire Ants - Google Search

Hopefully, someone will come along who has had this problem who can advise you based upon personally experience with dealing with it.

Thanks!

nikosmom

Thanks Clough! I've googled this before and as you mentioned, I want to see if anyone has any personal experience with this situation.

I've gotten conflicting information from various cites and it'd be helpful to hear someone actually say, "This worked for me!" I may just have to use a professional service but I also want to know how many treatments I should expect because I don't wanna get taken for a ride!

Catsmine

As a professional, let me explain what the ants are doing. The "signal" that you hear about is an alarm pheromone that does draw other soldiers, though I've never heard of any coming from different nests. They are defending their home from an invader thousands of times bigger than they are... very sci-fi.

If your yard is as infested as you say, a pro is likely your best bet. Most of the products available at stores can make the problem worse by "scattering" the mound, making it split up into several. If you can find them, bait products, which cost about twice as much, don't disturb the mound and cause this scattering. Sometimes they even work the first time, but my experience has been about 75-85%.

Professional treatments will likely be done monthly or just once. The "just once" is outrageously expensive and you child will need to stay away for a day or two, but it's amazingly effective. Monthly treatments involve spraying each mound and looking for new ones. Normally treatment plans cover other pests as well, and the 2 year old can go out in just a few minutes.

SHOP AROUND !!!!! But you will get what you pay for.