Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2014 16:40:09 -0400
From: George
Subject: A Simple Control for Fire Ants in Chatham
Chatham County Extension announced today that they will hold a fire ant “management” program soon in response to calls from throughout the piedmont area, including Chatham County. See http://www.chathamnc.org/index.aspx?page=19&recordid=5226 .
In an NPR interview, myrmecologist and wise man of biology E.O. Wilson, a Harvard and Duke prof, recommends using boiling water for fire ant colonies. He was reluctant to speak about any method of killing them because he loves ants, even fire ants. However he recognizes that most folks are not as tolerant as he is and wishes them to use the least ecologically destructive method that is effective in controlling fire ants.
Here is a link that contains, among other methods, the boiling water method:
http://www.fireant.net/Control/
To quote from that website:
“To use boiling water as a method, start with a sunny, cool day, preferably in the spring or fall when the ants are most active. Pour about 3 gallons of truly boiling water slowly over the mound. Some ants can survive up to 14 days underwater, so the key word here is boiling. The ants die from being scorched, not drowned. But be careful not to scald yourself! Try to collapse as much of the mound as possible while pouring. The ants, their larvae, and their stored food are all scalded and dead within seconds.”
Recalling the E.O. Wilson interview, Wilson notes that extreme cold (<16°F) will kill fire ant colonies. So it is surprising to hear that we have a problem this summer after the polar vortexes of last winter. Wilson further says that colonies in warm habitats such as those near vents and along foundations may survive harsh weather. It is these colonies that are sources for the spread of fire ants in climates where they would not otherwise survive. See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_imported_fire_ant#Physical_methods Ants are fascinating, don't hate, appreciate! -George