What is an organic means of getting rid of fire ants? They are taking over my flower beds and bushes.?

I sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth (D.E.) on the mounds. D.E. is fairly inexpensive and is completely natural. NO environmental issues. I cleared out 25 acres of fire ants in just a few days using it. Available from swimming pool supply stores or most feed stores.

What is an organic means of getting rid of fire ants? They are taking over my flower beds and bushes.?
a fire extinguisher, seriously not being a smart a**
Reply:digging them up or setting them on fire would work but personally i would not worry TOO much over organic or not , this is war! fire ants are dangerous, they can kill small animals or even people if the colony gets large enough, they damage homes, my mother in west Texas had to have 3 electric breaker boxes put in because the ants kept getting in the wiring and eating the wires! in places of serious infestations the county has been known to give out free ant bate to kill colonies, you may want to contact your county extension agent for advice on this one.


good luck with the ants
Reply:I've got 2 methods for you.





1. Pour boiling water on the mound. All you need to do is kill the queen and the rest will die.





2. Get a buddy. You should each have a shovel. Get positioned over 2 nearby ant beds, scoop up half, then walk to the others half-scooped pile and dump your scoop of ant pile on top. They recognize the new scoop on top of them as strangers, not of their colony, and both beds will fight to the death. Voila. No more ants.
Reply:The person who told you about ants going to war is correct. I remember my grandparents doing this when I was a child. You take a shovelful of ants from one hill and throw it on a different hill. If you can include some ant eggs, it works even better. Than take a shovelful of ants, etc. from the second hill and put it on the first hill. We kids watched them for days while they battled it out. You could see long lines of ants moving in opposite directions, headed for each others' hills. It sure cut down on the ant population, and while they were busy making war they weren't taking over the garden and flower beds. If you have several different hills, just repeat the process until you've got them under control. Trust me, it works!





One more thing: make sure you pick two hills that are not too close together and if possible pick two different varieties of ants. Seems to work more quickly.
Reply:beneficial nematodes. Try your local feed store or perhaps from the Internet. Not an overnight cure, a long term plan.
Reply:Try neem oil. or you could fight fire with fire and use a solution of water and hot chili powder.
Reply:salt sprinkled around..try it!
Reply:Othro Max for fire ants which you can get at a local WalMart. Not sure if it's organic or not..hehe Orange peels work for cats...it might work for ants to!
Reply:Coffee grounds work, save them and sprinkle around where needed!