How to Eliminate Fire Ants in Your Yard Naturally, According to Entomologists

Whether you have dodged their mounds while walking around your yard or endured a painful sting, you know how pesky and dangerous fire ants can be to humans, pets, and gardens.

Known as red imported fire ants, they are an invasive species that breed predominantly in the southern region of the United States. They thrive in warm climates and are difficult to eliminate because of the deep colonies they build underground. While many homeowners turn to pest control services to manage infestations, if you're looking for a natural, at-home remedy to try first, you're in the right place. We spoke with entomologists to find the most effective methods for eliminating fire ants from your yard.

What Are Fire Ants?

Red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta Buren and S. richteri Forel) are a species native to South America that were accidentally introduced to the United States decades ago, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). They outcompete native ants and insects, making them a common pest in many homeowners' yards and gardens. With reddish-brown bodies, fire ants travel in swarms and build large colonies deep underground. The entrance to these colonies is in the form of a mound—a visible pile of soil that often appears in lawns, gardens, and even between sidewalk cracks.

According to Robert T. Puckett, an associate entomology professor at Texas A&M University, fire ants thrive in warm, sunny climates with temperatures ranging from 75 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit, making the summer time when kids and pets are playing outside their ideal conditions.

Eliminating fire ants from your yard is important due to the health and environmental risks they pose. Fire ants swarm when they attack, delivering multiple painful stings that can trigger allergic reactions. Their mounds damage landscaping, and their aggressive behavior poses a threat to native wildlife and pets.

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Boiling Water Method

Eliminating fire ants with boiling water isn't without its risks, but it's a common method for removing small colonies without using commercial products. This approach is most effective in the spring or fall, especially after rainfall, when the difference between day and night temperatures is significant, says Kenneth G. Ross, an entomology professor at the University of Georgia.

On chilly nights followed by sunny mornings, fire ants move their broods (thousands of larvae) and queens (the egg-layers) near the surface to warm up. By late morning or early afternoon, they are more concentrated in the mound, making them easier to target.

Pouring a gallon of boiling water directly onto the mound at this time can kill most or all of the brood and queens in the colony. The moist soil from the rainfall helps the heat penetrate deeply into the colony. After pouring the water, Puckett recommends stirring the area with a stick to further disrupt the colony. Repeating the boiling water and stirring process a few times should eliminate the colony.

Physical Colony Removal

Physically removing fire ant colonies should be considered a last resort, and if not done correctly, it can be more harmful than helpful. If you're particularly sensitive to insect venom, this method is not recommended. Puckett shared his step-by-step instructions for safely removing a fire ant colony from your yard or garden.

Step 1: Prepare the equipment

• Get a 5-gallon bucket in good condition with no cracks or interior damage to prevent the fire ants from escaping for a couple of days.
• Thoroughly coat the inside of the bucket with baby powder. This acts as a slippery barrier that prevents the fire ants from climbing out.

Step 2: Position the bucket

• Place the prepared bucket downwind of the fire ant mound, about a couple of feet away.

Step 3: Dig and transfer the mount

• Using a sharp shovel, carefully cut around the base of the mound at a slight inward angle. Your goal is to remove as much of the mound in as few scoops as possible.
• Quickly and smoothly shovel the mound directly into the bucket.

Step 4: Wait and repeat

• After the first scoop, pause for a few minutes to let the disturbed ants regroup, and scoop again.
• Wait 15 minutes, then do a final scoop to capture any remaining ants.

Step 5: Secure and dispose

• Once all scooping is complete, check the baby powder lining to ensure it hasn't been compromised. If the powder remains intact, the ants cannot escape.
• To dispose of, pour boiling water into the bucket, freeze it, or relocate and empty the bucket in an uninhabited field.

Using Natural Bait

While natural remedies for eliminating fire ants are effective, Puckett recommends using conventional bait with active ingredients for severe infestations, or if you are not able to perform the other natural methods. There are several organic pesticides that control fire ants with reduced risk. One active ingredient is spinosad, a natural insecticide approved by the USDA for use in organic gardening. It is a soil-dwelling bacterium that affects fire ants' nervous system and kills them. It causes a delayed reaction, which allows the bait to spread throughout the colony before taking effect.

Fire ant colonies form after a mating event, but it can take several months for the mound to appear above ground. According to Puckett, physical removal and boiling water methods only target colonies that are mature enough to be visible. Baits, on the other hand, are effective because they can eliminate smaller, less developed colonies before they become visible.