Will fire ants damage my garden?
A reader e-mailed in this question:
"Help! I planted my garden this weekend nad had dozens of bites. There are fire ants all over. Will they cause harm to my garden or just annoy me?"
Fire ants will cause actual damage to your garden, and you should do your best to get rid of them. They're harmful in a lot of ways. First off, as you experienced, they will bite you whenever you try to tend to it or harvest any vegetables you plant out there. Second, fire ants will damage many kinds of plants that can be food for them. They will often eat the buds of plants or tunnel through the roots of others. They will eat seeds or pods or anything with nutrition. Third, fire ants use aphids for food, and will protect them from predators and actually cultivate them. Aphids can cause serious damage to plants, even if the ants themselves don't.
The big problem, though, is that many insecticides and baits cannot be used in gardens. You need to read the instructions carefully before trying to use them there - especially if you are going to eat something coming out of it. Some baits can't be used in gardens themselves, but can be sprinkled just outside it. Some, like Green Light, are safe to use there.
There are also some natural remedies that, while not foolproof, might be your best bet with a garden. First of all, put out baits in any other parts of your yard where you find nests. It doesn't really help to just get rid of them in one place, because they'll start another colony there all over again - gardens are a ripe oasis for fire ants. Second, you can use boiling water against them. You have to be very careful and make sure not to damage the plants. Another variant of this used in gardens specifically is to get a large bucket and a shovel and quickly dig up a couple of feet worth of soil from under the mound, dumping it in the bucket. Afterwards, pour boiling water into the bucket (this gives you a little more precision, since it won't scald the plants). Be VERY careful, because they will be gunning for you. A good idea is to coat the shovel handle near the spade in baby powder - it will make it harder for them to climb it. Third, while you can't use many baits, you can use things like cornmeal, grits, or instant oatmeal (which expand in their stomachs and explode them). Finally, if your garden allows it, look into diatomaceous earth. It's a kind of soil that you can sprinkle around the surface of your garden, especially around the fire ant nests. It has lots of microscopic jagged edges, because it is made from ground up seashells. They can't hurt you, but they will cut up insects - causing ants to bleed to death.
Have a question about fire ants? E-mail us here and we will do our best to answer it.
Sources and Useful Links:
http://www.extension.org/pages/Management_Options_of_Fire_Ants_for_Home_Gardens
http://www.centralsan.org/education/ipm/aphids.html
http://agnews.tamu.edu/rifacea/rifacea4.htm
Return to Fire Ants Guide Home Page