Preventing Fire Ants
Fire Ant Prevention
[ Fire Ant Identification | Inspecting For Fire Ants | Treating For Fire Ants | Preventing Fire Ants ]Prevention Guide
The total elimination of Fire ants in areas that have previously used by fire ants, is a relatively unrealistic goal. You can do things to help prevent Fire ants as well as keeping them at a manageable level. Preventing Fire ants will be an ongoing process. Once you eliminate the existing colonies, it is common to have new Fire ants move in and build new mounds. Using general outdoor sanitation, as well as eliminating new mounds as soon as you se them, you will be able to control the Fire ants on your property.
Sanitation Methods
Fire ants will need these to exist on your property:
- Food source
- Water and moisture
- A place to live
Sanitation:
- Trim back any trees and shrubs so that any excess foliage does not touch your home to prevent Fire ants from using them to avoid pesticides.
- Rake any mulch, straw, or other landscape material or bedding at least 6 inches from your home/structure to create a dry zone that Fire ants will most likely avoid.
- Turn any mulch or other landscape bedding every couple of weeks or so to keep moisture low and hopefully prevent nest building.
- Mow your lawn as needed to keep the growth low and maintained.
- Remove any grass clippings, piles of leaves, and stacks of wood to eliminate potential Fire ant infestation.
- Pick up any ripe fruit from fruit trees and off of the ground around those trees.
- Keep outdoor trash cans as far away from your home/structure as possible and make sure the lids are tight.
- Wash out trash cans with an ammonia cleaner solution when necessary.