I have a huge mound -- almost knee high about 15 to 18 inches next to my
garden -- I have tried Amdro and it did not seem to have any effect -- these
guys are mean -- I've fought with them before - gotta wear boots in the
summer to safty walk in the garden and gloves are a good idea to reach down
and pick something like squash. "Seven" dust works for awhile but obviously
isn't getting rid of the colony.

HELP PLEASE!!

--
Marta
(if you email me directly you need to remove the X )

On Sun, 06 Apr 2003 17:21:41 GMT, "Wayfarer"
wrote:

I have a huge mound -- almost knee high about 15 to 18 inches next to my
garden -- I have tried Amdro and it did not seem to have any effect -- these
guys are mean -- I've fought with them before - gotta wear boots in the
summer to safty walk in the garden and gloves are a good idea to reach down
and pick something like squash. "Seven" dust works for awhile but obviously
isn't getting rid of the colony.

HELP PLEASE!!

I have found the following techniques to be effective.

Make sure we are talking about imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta.
Lightly scratch the mound with a stick. If the ants boil out, they are
S. invicta.

Use fresh Amdro. Get a sealed bottle and open it a few minutes before
you plan to use it.

Do not spread the Amdro when the ground is wet or when it is going to
rain. Water breaks it down.

Spread the Amdro when the ants are active or are shortly to be active.
If it is too cool or too hot, the ants will not come out. The stuff
breaks down quickly in the open.

Do not put the material on the mound. That seems illogical, but the
ants won't touch it and may just abandon the mound and move a few
meters away. Instead, spread it around the mound a few centimeters
away. The ants will come out and get it and take it back into the
mound.

I also recommend broadcasting the Amdro all over your yard, using a
fertilizer spreader. You might even spread some in your neighbor's
yard next to your fence.

It is most helpful if you and all of your neighbors treat at the same
time.

Finally, do not expect immediate results. It will be a few days before
the ants are affected.

Elliot Richmond
Freelance Science Writer and Editor

Thanks Elliot!

Yes, when you poke the mound there is furious action, but I did put it on
the mound instead of around it, otherwise it was a brand new bag and I think
I did everything else you mention correctly. Will try again. They are mean!
If they wouldn't bit me I would just leave them alone too.

--
Marta
(if you email me directly you need to remove the X )

Triazicide is supposed to be the "next generation" insecticide after
Diazinon. Said to be more effective, more environmentally friendly, and
won't kill earthworms. (Home Depot) No doubt a long way from
environmentally perfect but sure kills the hell out of fire ants. Make a
little dent in the top of the mound and put some in there, then some more
all over the mound, then sprinkle a little around it. Water it all in
thoroughly. Enjoy watching your fire ants take their final swim.
gary


"Wayfarer" wrote in message
y.com...
I have a huge mound -- almost knee high about 15 to 18 inches next to my
garden -- I have tried Amdro and it did not seem to have any effect --
these
guys are mean -- I've fought with them before - gotta wear boots in the
summer to safty walk in the garden and gloves are a good idea to reach
down
and pick something like squash. "Seven" dust works for awhile but
obviously
isn't getting rid of the colony.

HELP PLEASE!!

--
Marta
(if you email me directly you need to remove the X )

On Sun, 6 Apr 2003 12:21:41 -0500, Wayfarer wrote
(in message m):

I have a huge mound -- almost knee high about 15 to 18 inches next to my
garden -- I have tried Amdro and it did not seem to have any effect -- these
guys are mean -- I've fought with them before - gotta wear boots in the
summer to safty walk in the garden and gloves are a good idea to reach down
and pick something like squash. "Seven" dust works for awhile but obviously
isn't getting rid of the colony.

HELP PLEASE!!

--
Marta
(if you email me directly you need to remove the X )



I recently got rid of a pretty large colony. Not as big as yours, but maybe
10 inches high and 16 inches in diameter.

I waited until a sunny mild day and poured about 6 gallons of boiling water
into it. After the first gallon or two I dug a pit in the center of the
mound to help concentrate the rest of the water. I must have gotten the
queen because in about 4-5 days, the nest was totally dead.

On Sun, 06 Apr 2003 22:39:08 GMT, "gary"
wrote:

Triazicide is supposed to be the "next generation" insecticide after
Diazinon.

Most likely, treatment with insecticides or boiling water kills a lot
of ants but the remaing ants, including the queen, just move a few
meterts away and start a new colony. In the US, S. invicta has evolved
a behavior not seen in their home range. They may have several
interconnected mounds with multiple queens. Killing one mound is a
temporary fix at best.

Elliot Richmond
Freelance Science Writer and Editor

"Elliot Richmond" wrote
Most likely, treatment with insecticides or boiling water kills a lot
of ants but the remaing ants, including the queen, just move a few
meterts away and start a new colony.

Although I have often read this, my experience, over many years, with
treating individual fireant mounds with small amounts of diazinon or, more
recently, Triazicide, has not shown this to be true in most cases. Perhaps
that is because I have usually treated the mounds soon after a rain, when
the ants have migrated nearer to the surface and/or because I am always
careful to water the insecticide thoroughly into the mound. But I have
found this kind of treatment to work extremely well.

Perhaps they escape out the back door and reestablish on my neighbor's lawn
or down the block, I wouldn't know about that, but they don't usually set up
shop anytime soon near their most recent home.

gary

yep - I had luck with boiling water by first taking a long iron pole (or
whatever kind of pole you have) and plunging it into the center of the mound
as far as it will go. You can feel how there's less resistance as deep as
the ants have dug, and then you hit harder soil. It's important to do this
because the ants carry the queen as deep as they can as soon as the nest is
under attack, and this can be several feet down. Rotate the pole to open up
the hole. Immediately (and I mean IMMEDIATELY) after quickly poking a very
deep hole in the nest, dump as much boiling water as you can into it. If you
fail to get the queen you'll still kill a ton of ants, but there's an
excellent chance you'll get her. Studies have found that some nests of fire
ants actually "learn" to avoid Amdro. Can you tell I hate fire ants? :-)

Betsy

"Bill Tschumy" wrote in message
. sbcglobal.net...
On Sun, 6 Apr 2003 12:21:41 -0500, Wayfarer wrote
(in message m):

I have a huge mound -- almost knee high about 15 to 18 inches next to my
garden -- I have tried Amdro and it did not seem to have any effect --
these
guys are mean -- I've fought with them before - gotta wear boots in the
summer to safty walk in the garden and gloves are a good idea to reach
down
and pick something like squash. "Seven" dust works for awhile but
obviously
isn't getting rid of the colony.

HELP PLEASE!!

--
Marta
(if you email me directly you need to remove the X )



I recently got rid of a pretty large colony. Not as big as yours, but
maybe
10 inches high and 16 inches in diameter.

I waited until a sunny mild day and poured about 6 gallons of boiling
water
into it. After the first gallon or two I dug a pit in the center of the
mound to help concentrate the rest of the water. I must have gotten the
queen because in about 4-5 days, the nest was totally dead.

"Betsy" wrote in message
...
| yep - I had luck with boiling water by first taking a long iron pole
(or
| whatever kind of pole you have) and plunging it into the center of
the mound
| as far as it will go. You can feel how there's less resistance as
deep as
| the ants have dug, and then you hit harder soil. It's important to
do this
| because the ants carry the queen as deep as they can as soon as the
nest is
| under attack, and this can be several feet down. Rotate the pole to
open up
| the hole. Immediately (and I mean IMMEDIATELY) after quickly poking
a very
| deep hole in the nest, dump as much boiling water as you can into
it. If you
| fail to get the queen you'll still kill a ton of ants, but there's
an
| excellent chance you'll get her. Studies have found that some nests
of fire
| ants actually "learn" to avoid Amdro. Can you tell I hate fire ants?
:-)
|
| Betsy
|

this technique with boiling water has always worked for us--sometimes
it takes two rounds, but it always takes care of things for the
season|

On Tue, 8 Apr 2003 12:24:21 -0500, "Betsy"
wrote:

Studies have found that some nests of fire
ants actually "learn" to avoid Amdro. Can you tell I hate fire ants? :-)

I'm not all surprised. Imported fire ants have evolved several
behaviors not common in their home ranges, such as multiple queen
colonies. The boiling water treatment you described would probably be
effective. I am concerned about the danger of scalding. Also, boiling
water kills the grass and sterilizes the soil.

Elliot Richmond
Freelance Science Writer and Editor

"Elliot Richmond" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 8 Apr 2003 12:24:21 -0500, "Betsy"
wrote:

Studies have found that some nests of fire
ants actually "learn" to avoid Amdro. Can you tell I hate fire ants? :-)

I'm not all surprised. Imported fire ants have evolved several
behaviors not common in their home ranges, such as multiple queen
colonies. The boiling water treatment you described would probably be
effective. I am concerned about the danger of scalding. Also, boiling
water kills the grass and sterilizes the soil.

Yeah, but its persistence in the environment is about 5 minutes. Then
everything starts moving back into that "sterile" soil.

DT

Second try with Amdro did nothing again and I followed Elliot's
instructions -- so next try is the boiling water.

--
Marta
(if you email me directly you need to remove the X )