Here’s How to Get Rid of Every Fire Ant in Your Texas Yard

Fire ants suck. From Austin, TX, and across the Lone Star State, they have zero redeeming qualities. Their stings are painful and they can be harmful to pets and livestock. After all the rain recently in East Texas, you know these little critters are around. 

Amdro reports that baiting ants is effective in ridding your yard of them. If you're interested in this, there are several types of routes you can go, but the most effective ones contain slow-acting toxins that get carried back to the colony. Once the poison is distributed to other ants in the colony, and eventually, will kill the queen.

How to bait them:

1. Identify the areas where fire ants are active.
2. Sprinkle the bait around the mounds and areas where the ants are active.
3. Follow the instructions carefully, using too much or too little bait can render it ineffective.

Insecticides are another way to rid your yard of fire ants. When it comes to these you'll have several choices including sprays, granules, and baits. Once again be sure to follow the instructions carefully. Click here for more tips.

Want to try a natural approach?

You could try pouring boiling water into the fire ant mounds. It can work, but be careful not to burn yourself (or anyone else). According to Texas A&M:

Pouring 2 to 3 gallons of very hot or boiling water on the mound will kill ants about 60% of the time. Otherwise, the ants will probably just move to another location.

Of course, my preferred method would still be prevention. It's always better to never have them in the first place, right?

A few ways to help prevent fire ants from taking over your yard include: Keeping it free of debris, keeping your grass and shrubs trimmed, and avoiding overwatering your lawn -- fire ants are attracted to moist soil.

EDIT: This was originally published March 2, 2024