I have a red ant problem, i just noticed them this evening while watering i am not sure how to get rid of them , i dont want them to destroy the root system …im in the south …deep south and red fire ants have always been an issue but this is my 1st grow so i dont know what to do . I have 3 ladies and the ants are only in 1 of the buckets HELP!!!
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I wonder if diatomaceous earth would get them, since they’re in the soil…
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Gasoline works wonders! Lol
We used to find their hill, slowly pour a half-cup of diesel fuel in it a few times over a day or so, and then light it on fire. You’re screwed if they’ve taken up residence in your pot. I hate those damn things. I had them on my farm when I lived in Alabama.
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@MidwestGuy I think i may be screwed because they appear to be in the pot .
@Beck i seen that some people use diatomaceous earth to get rid of them online i also seen corn meal gets rid of them as well. My main concern is why are the ants there in the 1st place ??? Food i read that the ants r there because they have something to eat like aphids and or whiteflies …i cant see either of these but this is my 1st grow…so get rid of the food then the ants will leave…??? Does this makes sense???
I use diatomaceous earth, I mix it with water and spray on them and the ant hills, it is suppose to dry them up. I live in the northeast so I only have black ants in my yard.
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They consume the same sugars that the microbes feed on in your soil.
I also wonder if typical ant killer like ortho ant killer would work …that is without causing damage to the plants (i.e. harm the flower , or cause growth damage ) ??? Im really freaking out the plant just started the flowering stage
@Dreamer that sounds like what i had in mind and does this affect the plant ??
@MidwestGuy i will post some pictures this evening when i get off of work maybe ypu guys can spot something i am missing …i have captain jacks dead bug concentrate on order …i jad the premix spray and it didnt work at all for any bugs …later i found that it has to be at least 1.5 x mix to work well. Do you think jacks dead bug would get rid of the fire ants ???
I don’t think Deadbug is labeled for ant control.
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I wouldn’t put it on the plants
Me either, but it may help to sprinkle it on top of the soil.
@MidwestGuy this answered my question about jacks dead bug …it does work on ants thanks for posting that .
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Thanks to everyone for all the tips im goinv to try a few of them i feel that this post has been very helpful and i hope more tips and tricks pop up living in the deep south along the gulfcost fire ants are everywhere being around them my whole life we have learned to just give them space … The last question i have is does anyone know if dawn dish soap will hurt the plants??? I have used it before on my other garden and enough of it will kill grass along with the Texas heat
Amdro, put it in a circle around the mound and they take it in and it kills the queen. Doesn’t work on every kind of colony though. Supposed to be non toxic to humans and pets.
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This stuff works extremely well.
Its not toxic to animals and it will eliminate the entire colony in a few days.
Be warned that on the first day or two it looks like you have invited the entire neighborhood of ants to a crack party. But because its a slow acting product they take it back home and it takes care of the whole problem. Even gives the colony time to pick up dead ants and take them back to the nest to recycle which further spreads the Advion in the colony. There are two versions, The stuff in the syringes works better than the bait stations. And make sure it is for Ants and not Roaches…Unless you have roaches too… 
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I always get ants in my kitchen when the seasons change. I put Borax with a bit of sugar in it on a small plate to attract the little buggers. They carry the Borax back to the colony and it kills them off. It always works.
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Corn meal is a good organic way to get rid of fire ants. They take it back into the nest as food for the queen. When they eat it they can’t digest it and it eventually kills the colony.
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