Fire Ants
By Bruce Lee Deuley - 11/27/02

By the 1930's the imported red fire ant had already arrived on United States soil. Probably being brought here in earth used as ballast in a Brazilian shipping vessel that landed in Mobile Alabama. Now it is a common resident from Florida to Texas and north to the Carolinas and Oklahoma.

Its impact on the flora and fauna, where it now resides, is difficult to measure but there is little doubt that its presence has changed the ecology everywhere it is now found.

After years of attempting to control or eradicate the imported Fire Ant it is obvious that the chemical approach has not been successful. Even though hundreds of thousands of pounds of chemical pesticides, insecticides and growth regulators have been used, the Fire Ant thrives and continues to multiply and enlarge its territory.

Fire Ants prefer to live in a monoculture atmosphere so manicured lawns and pastures or fields consisting of only one species of grass are an ideal living environment for them. They do not compete well in an area that has a varied population of plants, insects and other living things.

There are several organic materials that are used in an organic approach to controlling Fire Ants. All of which are non-toxic to pets, children or plants.

The two-step organic approach is a sure-fire method to controlling Fire Ants.

Step one is to drench the offending mounds.

A combination of a gallon of compost tea, 2 ounces of Orange Oil and a tablespoon of liquid dish soap used as a drench will eliminate the majority of Fire Ants from the average size mound in one application. A couple of repeated applications and the population will be totally annihilated.

To make compost tea, get a container and fill it one-third full of organic material, preferably a cow manure compost, which can be purchased at any garden center, but any good organic compost will serve the purpose. Allow it to set and brew for about 2 weeks, stirring it at least once a day or more often if possible. After 2 weeks strain the liquid through muslin or a pair of old panty hose and add the 2 ounces of Orange Oil and one tablespoon of dish soap to each gallon of "tea" to be used as a drench.

Drenching works best in the spring and fall when the ants are most active.

Step two is the application of Beneficial Nematodes.

As mentioned in last weeks article, Beneficial Nematodes are predatory worms which use Fire Ant Larva, eggs and immature Fire Ants as host for their reproductive cycle. They are very prolific and will eliminate any Fire Ants not killed by drenching the Fire Ant mounds.

With persistence, this combination is both very effective and organically safe for you and the environment around you.

Next week, Diatomaceous Earth, it's many uses in the organic garden.