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Having fire ants inside your house and garden is not only annoying but posts a health risk to you and among your family members. If you have a kid or pet in your house, it is very important to not have fire ants in the house. While your standard over the counter insecticide is effective, in somehow getting rid of those insects, it may not be enough to totally get rid of the fire ants. If you have tried several products ut those insects keep on getting your way, you are in the right article. We list some effective tips on getting rid of fire ants in the house.
We also included in this article the important thing to know about fire ants- what they are, different types, and why there are fire ants in your house. To find out more, keep on reading.
Getting Rid of Fire Ants in the House: How to Know if You Have them in Your House?
Before we move on to the tips on getting rid of fire ants in the house, let us first determine how you will be able to know if you have fire ants in the house. In some cases, household members will never know they have fire ants in their house until they see hundreds of it in one area of the house.
On the other hand, there are actually several signs to look for to know if you have fire ants in the house. It is important to know in advance so that you can do ways on getting rid of fire ants in the house. One the signs that you have fire ants in the house if you see that the color of the ants are brown or red. Normally, red fire ants are very small compared to regular-sized ants. On the off chance,you are looking for this certain type of fire ants, you should check your garage or garden as they do not stay inside your house.
Small red fire ants tend to stay outside the house because they want to be away from the people. That being said, it is not always easy to catch them because they are always outside. Moreover, they are not often harmful to your kids or pets. However, when they get hungry, they will go inside your house to look for food to eat. Do not think of blocking the door because they can pass through in the tiniest openings.
*Fire ants are not always red in color
But if you see red ants do not instantly think that they are fire ants, they can be just regular ants hunting for food. Also, male fire ants are sometimes in color black.
On the off chance you see several small red ants in your house, they are most likely fire ants. Do not only search for small red ants but also the mounds they build. It is important to find these mounds because this is where they stay and bring their food.
It is easy to spot for the mounds. Just look for a hill of dirt. Also, you can find more than one mound especially if there are hundreds of them. Do not look for the small opening on top of the mount because only regular ants do this.
When you find their hill of dust and dirt, be extra careful because the moment they notice harm, it will cause them to swarm out from their hiding place.
Different Types of Fire Ants in the House
Fire ants are usually confused with regular because they are the same in color. These types of ants that are commonly confused with fire ants are Pharoah ants and Western Harvester. You can identify a fire ant not only in their size and color but also in the size of their antenna, mandibles, and thorax that is spineless. However, if you are not an expert in ants, it will be hard for you to identify if the ant is 100% fire ant.
For a regular person without professional knowledge when it comes to fire ants, he/she can determine one by looking at its color and size. Remember that they are red in color and usually small in size.
In the US, there are two major ant problems
The first would be the red imported fire ants. This type of fire ant is normally referred to as RIFA. In the past years, this has been a serious concern of household members in the US. This is primarily because RIFA is harmful as they are aggressive and non-native. In addition to that, they are believed to build huge colonies of more than 90,000 species found beneath the soil.
The second major ant problem in the southern fire ants. This type of ant can be found in California. They usually make large mounds that are close to the trees and they are always huge in numbers. This is why a person can easily look for southern fire ants as they are always large in size. Also, Southern fire ants look for other species to prey. But they are still considered dangerous because of their ability to damage properties.
Getting Rid of Fire Ants in the House: What Attracts Them?
No one wants a pest in their house and fire ants are definitely something that you do not want in your garage, garden, and inside your house. They are a threat to your kids, pets, and other house items. Furthermore, there is always a possibility of fire ants being aggressive. When this happens, they can be really dangerous to have in your house. This is important especially if there is someone in the house who is allergic to sting.
Why are there fire ants in your house and what might be attracting them?
- Your house is too untidy- Yes, you read that right. Fire ants almost always look for some garbage in the floor or sometimes scraps. What you can do is to do a general cleaning. Make sure to thoroughly clean the house. Also, it is critical to clean the kitchen because this is where fire ants first go first once they go inside your house. Clean up your floors, ceilings, and kitchen utensils. Moreover, the foods must be out of reach.
- Holes in your house- Cover those holes in your house as this is where they pass through once they get hungry. Do not look for large-sized holes, because even though they come in large size, fire ants are very small. That being said, they can pass even through the tiniest hole in your house. In short, they will do whatever it takes just to enter your house.
- Storage of food – next would be the storage of food. Almost all types of ants are the same when it comes to food hunting. They like to look for food and bring them to their colonies. This is why you see ants that carry foods on their backs. That being said, if you have foods outside your house, like dog foods, they should be properly stored. Yes, they even eat dog foods. As long as it is something they can eat.
- Too much moisture- a lot of people do not know this but fire ants are attracted to too much moisture. Since they do not need plenty of soil to survive, they must at least maintain a specific level of moisture for them to survive. In some cases, you will find fire ants in wall voids. Hence, if you live in a place where there are plenty of fire ants, make sure there are no leaks in your house.
Tips on Getting Rid of Fire Ants in the House
The moment you confirm that you have fire ants in the house, try some of these ways on getting rid of fire ants in the house:
1. Get rid of points of entry
One way of getting rid of fire ants is lessening their points of entry. There are plenty of weep hole covers in the market that are proven effective in closing those holes.
When looking for the holes where the ants are coming from, we are telling you can have a hard time. You might even think that there is no hole. I don’t see anything, don’t stop looking. The reason you can’t find it is because the holes are very tiny. The holes are even smaller than those of regular ants simply because fire ants are small in size.
2.Use Vinegar Solution
While using insecticides is effective in eliminating fire ants, it harmful for your health. Also, if you have kids in the house, it is not recommended to use insecticides. On the other hand, there are safe remedies you can try.
Using a vinegar solution is also proven to be effective in killing fire ants. To use a vinegar solution to get rid of fire ants, just simply mix equal parts of water, vinegar, and baking soda. Place the mixture on a spray bottle then spray it on ant colonies or in areas where you saw the fire ants.
3. Make use of Cayenne Pepper
Another home remedy is using cayenne pepper. With this product, you can already have a safe anti-fire ant that you can use at home. What is great about this is that you do not need to expose yourself in harmful chemical insecticides.
To use this, mix boiling water, four sliced cayenne pepper, and cayenne pepper in the form of the powdered form. First, place water to boil. While waiting for the water to boil, place the slices of cayenne pepper in a jar. Once the water boils, pour it on the jar with pepper slices. Allow the mixture to sit for at least 24 hours. After a day, get ready to get rid of those ants with the mixture.
Aside from that, you can also use cayenne pepper powder. Fire ants find powdery substance annoying. To us the powder, sprinkle some of it on the ant colony. You might want to add more so as to make sure they will not escape. After sprinkling some powder, pour some water on the colony. This will not only kill the fire ants, but it will also make the colony not livable.
4. Dish Soap
Another way of getting rid of fire ants in the house is by using dish soap. If you do not have cayenne pepper or vinegar, it is impossible not to have a dish soap at home, right?
Dish soap or any type of detergent is dangerous for fire ants. This is because the chemicals are harmful enough to ruin the layers of the exoskeleton of the ant. As a result, the fire ants will get dehydrated. To use soap or detergent to get rid of fire ants, just simply mix the water and detergent and put it in a spray bottle. Then spray the solution on areas where there are always ant traffic or ant holes.
5. Use high-quality insecticide
If you have an extreme fire ant situation in your house and you think that these homemade remedies will not do any good, you may opt for insecticides. Choose those insecticides that are safe to use and less harmful compared to other insecticides. If necessary, hire someone to do the job.
Why are Fire Ants Considered a Threat?
Now that you what signs to look for when searching for fire ants in the house, why is it very important to get rid of them? Why must you do the different ways of getting rid of fire ants in the house? Fire ants are considered a threat because of the following reasons:
Fire Ants Attacks
One of the reasons why fire ants are dangerous because they might attack humans. Ant colony attacks were once very prominent in the US. There were numerous reports stating that kids and elderlies were attacked by fire ants. Normally, these ants will have access to the building because of the HVAC. There were rare cases when the residents died due to the attack
Fire Ant Bites
Fire ants’ bite is painful. People who were bitten by a fire ant said that it is like a burning feeling that is very annoying. After the fire ant bit you, you might experience swelling and itching. The worst is that it can last for almost a week. On the off chance a fire ant bites a person who is allergic to the venom, that person may experience difficulty in breathing and swelling of the throat. If you notice that a person is experiencing a serious allergic reaction, make sure to seek immediate medical attention.
Final Words
It is common to have fire ants in the house. The problem with fire ants is that they are possible to attack humans and bite them. This is crucial if you have a kid or pet in your house. Moreover, a person who is allergic to venom may experience difficulty in breathing if she/he is bitten by it. Getting rid of fire ants in the house as early as possible is important to prevent them from forming large fire ant colonies. While these tips are helpful, you should still seek professional services in case of worse fire ant scenarios.
