With the rainfalls that some of us have been experiencing during the last few weeks, we are starting to see fire ant mounds show up. There are several small mounds in my yard and the surrounding neighborhood. I am the person who will be working in my yard, start wondering why my hands or feet are itching, and discover I have been kneeling in a fire ant mound. Ouch! The bite of the fire ant is actually a sting. The sting of multiple fire ants feels like a burning sensation. After a day or two, small white blisters will appear at the site of the bites and feel itchy. An anti-itch cream can help control that. If you have trouble breathing, head to the Emergency Room. Also, if you have sweating, or nausea head to the Emergency room. If you get stung, remove your clothing, and gloves if possible. Try to remove the fire ants, then rinse yourself off with water if available. If you have time, apply cold compresses. If the itching continues try an oatmeal bath. As precautions, knowing if your family, friends, or co-workers are allergic will help save a trip to the ER. Make sure shoes are worn when people are in your yard.

The Black Imported Fire Ants were accidentally introduced into the United States through the Port of Mobile, Alabama from South America in 1918. The Red Imported Fire Ants were introduced into the United States during the 1930s. The Red Imported Fire Ants have infested millions of acres of land from Florida to Texas and as far north as Oklahoma.

To tell if you have a fire ant problem, look for a soil mound that has fluffy soil, with a mounded appearance after a rain. You will not see an opening in the mound. Mounds that are not disturbed can reach up to 20 inches in height. Most mounds, in the home lawn, will not exceed the height of the grass. Fire ants also enjoy living in electrical outlets or where the electrical lines come into your home. The Fire Ants can chew through the insulation of the wires and can cause electrical fires. Fire Ants also attack birds that nest on the ground, like quail, and other ground-nesting animals.

The traditional approach for treating Fire Ants is the Texas Two-Step. One application should be bait spread over the lawn in the fall. This is followed by treating the mounds with either a mound drench, a bait, or granular insecticide. Baits are long-acting; the worker ants will take them to the mound where it is shared with the queen. This will either cause the queen to become infertile or die. Bait should be fresh, and applied to the ground when the grass is dry and no rain is expected for 24 to 48 hours. Late afternoon application when the worker ants are looking for food is the best time to apply. Please read and follow the label directions when applying the ant baits.

The second step is to treat the individual mounds. Chemicals or organic methods can be used. With all methods being used, please read and follow the label directions for applications and for personal protection. If you are using the chemicals, there may be a surface residue. Orthene leaves white dust where ever you apply it. Liquid drenches may eliminate mounds within a few hours and leave little surface residue. Granular products are fast acting. Apply the granular product to the mound, and sprinkle water onto the mound. Follow all label directions.

Organic methods include mixing orange oil with water and pouring it down the mound, with Diatomaceous earth sprinkled on the mound will help. Beneficial nematodes may control the fire ants but will damage other insects in your yard. Another organic method is to pour two to three gallons of boiling water on the fire ant mound. Boiling water will kill the grass and other plants in the area.

Texas A&M has done studies on the Phorid Fly, which is a natural enemy of Fire Ants. The flies are not available to the public and do not live in all parts of Texas.

This article includes information from the Texas A&M fire ant website.

Joyce Block is a Johnson County Master Gardener and resides in Alvarado.

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