Fire Ant Control

Most Effective Products

Supreme IT Insecticide
Suspended Concentrate
As low as $54.99
D-Fense Dust Insecticide
Dust
As low as $11.54
 Extinguish Plus Fire Ant Bait
Granular Bait
As low as $24.65
Valar Plus Bifenthrin Granules
Granular
As low as $32.99
Keith's Pro Tips

"One advantage of choosing Valar Plus over Extinguish Plus for controlling fire ants is that Valar Plus treats many different lawn pests, not just fire ants, while Extinguish Plus is only mainly targeted towards Fire Ants. If you use Extinguish Plus, because its a bait, you have to make sure that bait doesn't come in contact with insecticides. This will contaminate the bait and Fire Ants won't pick it up at all."

Fire Ant Control: How To Get Rid of Fire Ants

This page is a Fire Ant control guide. By using the products and methods suggested you will reduce the likelihood of Fire Ants. Follow this guide and use the recommended products and we guarantee a great reduction in your population of Fire Ants.

Of the many types of ant infestations that can occur in a household, few infestations strike fear in the heart of the homeowner like the Fire Ant. Fire Ants are regarded as one of the most dangerous and troublesome species of ant that can be found in the United States. 

Fire Ants are found all over the country but are prevalent especially in the Southern US where the warmer temperatures are more preferred by fire ants. They have also thrived in the region due to a lack of predators. Fire Ants are very aggressive in nature and can build up the population of their colonies alarmingly fast with colonies reaching numbers as high as 250,000. Fire Ants are also known for creating visible mounds that can be very large. 

Fire Ants are a major threat to pets, people and livestock and species of ants whose sting can cause serious reactions to people and give off a burning sensation on the skin, hence the name they are given. People often confuse fire ants as biters, but what they actually do is pinch the skin to lift it and then inject their toxin to the pinched skin.

If your home has come down with a fire ant infestation then immediate action needs to be taken to protect you and your family from these aggressive pests. Whether you’re looking for control products or free advice from DIY experts, Solutions Pest and Lawn has everything you need to get rid of fire ants in the most effective way.

Identification

Identification is a crucial first step for Fire Ant control because you want to make sure you are dealing with Fire Ants because they require a special type of treatment compared to other ant infestations. Misidentifying Fire Ants can lead to using the wrong products which will be an ineffective waste of time and money. Learn what Fire Ants look like below:

  • Fire Ants can be anywhere from 1/16th of an inch to 1/4th inch. Fire Ants also have three body segments, a head, thorax and abdomen that are clearly separated.
  • Fire Ants are reddish-brown in color and have a stinger that injects venom as well as mandibles used for biting. 
  • Fire Ants can also be identified by their behavior and the appearance of their ant mound. When their nest is disturbed, they attack in large numbers, trying to sting any moving object near the vicinity of the ant mound. 
  • Fire ant mounds are different than other ant mounds in that it has no entrance and resembles more a gopher dirt mound than an anthill.

Use the image and description above to help you to properly identify Fire Ants, if you need some assistance, contact us and our experts will try to help you with correct identification.

Inspection

fire ant dirt mounds

After you are certain you are dealing with Fire Ants, you can proceed with an inspection to locate the areas that Fire Ants are infesting. During the inspection, you will focus on finding these "hotspots" that Fire Ants frequent and possibly find their Ant mound, to apply proper control. Fire ants forage early in the morning and late in the evening so inspect during these hours.

Where To Inspect

When it comes to fire ants, you need to start your inspection outdoors and then work your way indoors. Usually, this can be easily done by locating fire ant mounds in your yard and observing fire ants foraging in the early morning or late evening time.

What To Look For

You're looking for Fire Ants and their dirt mounds. These mounds might be up to a foot in size and will have no clear opening, they are often described as gopher dirt mounds. Approach these dirt mounds early in the morning or late in the evening to inspect for Fire Ant foraging. It's important to note that you do not disturb the ant mound before treatment as this can cause the ants to relocate somewhere around your yard. Once you have identified their dirt mounds and the ants themselves, this is where you will apply treatment.

Treatment

Once you have confirmed where Fire Ants are active, it is time to begin treatment. Remember to read all product labels and follow the application instructions on these labels and stay safe by wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).

To get rid of fire Ants, we recommend first drenching any located ant mounds with Supreme IT Insecticide. For ants foraging outside the mounts, apply a broadcast treatment of Valar Plus Bifenthrin Granules or Extinguish Fire Ant Bait. To treat Fire Ants that venture indoors, apply D-Fense Dust around points of entry.

Step 1 - Ant Mound Treatment With Supreme IT

Reclaim IT direct mound treatment for fire ants

Supreme IT Insecticide is a liquid insecticide concentrate that will help you get immediate control of an ant colony and can be used as both a perimeter treatment around the foundation of your property and also to drench the ant mounds you are able to find. Supreme IT offers residual control (or long-term effects) that will last for 3 months.

To treat Fire Ants, mix 1 ounce of Supreme IT with a gallon of water inside a pump sprayer or hose-end sprayer. Locate the Fire Ant mound and drench the mound by spraying over the entire mound until it is saturated with the solution. This will allow the product to get deep penetration and possibly kill the queen.

Step 2 - Granular Treatment of Yard with Valar Plus or Extinguish Fire Ant Bait

Extinguish Plus fire ant bait application

While treating the mound can deliver a blow to a significant number of Fire Ants, it doesn't address the numerous worker ants out foraging. For this, we recommend using Valar Plus Bifenthrin Granules or Extinguish Plus Fire Ant bait to treat the lingering ants in your yard.

Valar Plus Bifenthrin Granules are a granular insecticide that is labeled to treat many different ant species, including Fire Ants. To use Valar Plus Bifenthrin Granules, first calculate the square footage of your yard by measuring (in feet) and mixing the area length and width then multiply the two values (length x width = square footage).

Valar Plus Bifenthrin Granules should be applied in a granular spreader at the rate of 2.3 pounds of product per 1,000 square feet of your yard.

For Extinguish Plus Fire Ant Bait, you can either use a spreader or shake the bait from the container at a rate of 3 oz. per 5,000 square feet.

No matter what you choose, make sure to apply it close to Fire Ant Dirt mounds in flower beds, around trees, and places where you have noticed Fire Ant activity. Also apply it all over your yard, start at the back of the yard and make your way to the front, until you cover your whole lawn. 

For Valar Plus Bifenthrin Granules you'll want to water all the areas treated with water to activate the product.

Step 3 - Treat Points of Entry With D-Fense Dust

Dusting weep holes for Fire Ants

D-Fense Dust is perfect to use inside specifically to apply products inside hard to reach areas like cracks and crevices, and behind appliances. D-Fense Dust also has residual control of almost 8 months. This product can be used to inject into weep holes in the exterior and indoors under and behind appliances.

To use D-Fense Dust you will need a handheld duster. Fill the duster halfway with D-Fense Dust and leave plenty of room inside for air to circulate. You will apply by squeezing the duster. Apply in cracks and crevices, behind and under appliances, in bathrooms, under sinks, and where you have observed Fire ant activity.

Prevention

prevention fire ant how to get rid of fire ants

Once you have treated your home and yard for Fire Ants, you should see a noticeable reduction of Fire Ant activity in only a few days. To prevent Fire Ants from reinfesting, you need to alter the environment to make it less suitable for Fire Ants.

  • Start by trimming back vegetation away from your property (including overhanging branches that touch the roof).
  • Remove yard debris, like logs, rocks, bricks, wood piles, leaf litter, and general clutter that can make harborage areas for Fire Ants and other insects, which Fire Ants feed on.
  • Be diligent about removing Fire Ant mounds that develop in your yard by treating them with Supreme IT.
  • Apply Valar Plus Bifenthrin Granules every 3 months as a broadcast treatment in your yard to prevent Fire Ants from establishing populations in your yard.

Key Takeaways

What are Fire Ants?

  • Fire Ants can be a difficult infestation to control as they are aggressive and persistent and likely to reinvade places they are driven out of.

How to Get Rid of Ants

  • To get rid of Fire Ants, treat mounds directly by drenching with Supreme IT Insecticide. You should also broadcast Valar Plus Bifenthrin Granules or Extinguish Plus Fire Ant Bait in your yard and treat voids and points of entry with D-Fense Dust.

Preventing Fire Ant Reinfestation

  • To prevent Fire Ant reinfestations, modify your environment. Get rid of insect harborage areas like yard debris, and do a preventative treatment of Valar Plus Bifenthrin Granules around your yard every 3 months.
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