How to Get Rid of Fire Ants Fast Using Home Remedies

Fire ants aren’t your typical ants. They are dangerous invasive species you wouldn’t want hanging in your backyard. They have stings that can be incredibly painful, even for adults. Find out what’s causing fire ants to appear in your yard and ways to get rid of them with home remedies.

Why you have fire ants in the house

Here are a few common reasons that may cause fire ants to appear in your house or in the yard.

Source of food

Like other ant species, fire worker ants search fire and wide for food and water to bring back to their colony. The fire worker ants may have ventured inside and found plenty of food scraps and crumbs to feed from. Fire ants are omnivorous. Their diet may also consist of small insects like ticks and spiders, which they may have found inside your home.

Source of water

Fire ants may also venture inside homes during dry weather when outdoor water is scarce. The fire ants may have found a regular source of clean water such as a puddle from a leaking pipe.

Extreme weather

Some fire ants may find their way into homes during adverse weather conditions. Heavy rain and flooding, for example, could result in a fire ant infestation. Your house would be the perfect spot for fire ants to seek shelter.

Home remedies for getting rid of fire ants

Fire ants require extra care given the risks of getting stung. Here is a list of remedies that may help with getting rid of the fire ants and the fire ant mound.

Apply food-grade diatomaceous earth

The use of diatomaceous earth has exploded in popularity in recent years. It’s a natural powder that can help get rid of soft-bodied insects like fire ants. Get some food-grade diatomaceous earth and sprinkle a thin layer on top of areas where the fire ants frequent. It will kill fire ants by drying them out. You can also apply the powder on top of the fire ant mounds. Make sure to reapply when the powder becomes damp.

Cover all cracks and crevices

Make it difficult for the fire ants to enter your home. Check the exterior of the house. Fill any cracks and crevices that provide an easy entrance for the fire ants. Use weatherproofing seals to eliminate gaps along the doors and windows. Trim or cut any bushes or tree branches that are making contact with the house.

Pour boiling water

Fire ant infestations won’t go away until you eliminate the queen ant that’s hidden deep inside the fire ant mound. A natural way to get rid of fire ants is by using boiling water. You will need to prepare two or three gallons of boiling water to eliminate as many fire ants as possible. Keep in mind that boiling water doesn’t have a 100% success rate. You will need to be thorough and repeat the pouring of boiling water across multiple days to get rid of the fire ants.

Borax and sugar trap

Make your own fire ant bait by mixing a quarters cup of sugar with half a tablespoon of borax. Add a bit of water to turn it into a paste. Leave a bit of paste near areas where fire ants are sighted. The worker fire ants will eat the paste and take some back to their colony. Borax can kill fire ants by disrupting their digestive system. You can also buy liquid bait traps that use borax as the active ingredient.

Frequently asked questions

Do Chickens Eat Fire Ants?

Chickens will eat fire ants and anything else they find remotely edible. This, however, doesn’t mean house chickens are a great to eliminate fire ants, especially if there’s a nest nearby. While a few individual fire ants will pose no threat to chickens, large amounts can pose a significant threat to them. Fire ants are known to be territorial and very aggressive, so if chickens start wandering close to the nest, they might get overwhelmed by fire ants, putting their life at risk. This is an even bigger problem to the smaller ones and can get overwhelmed faster and easier. If you have chickens and spot a nest of fire ants, it’s best you directly deal with it to avoid putting your chickens at risk.

Does vinegar kill fire ants?

No, household vinegar is unlikely to kill fire ants. Pouring vinegar into a fire ant mound may only encourage fire ants to relocate and build another mound. Pouring club soda or carbonated water into the fire ant mound is likely to be just as ineffective.