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My tenant told me she has some funky red ants in the house that are biting her and her daughter. She said:
"The big island has now... thanks to someone bringing in a plant from thailand... is infested with little red fire ants... so is this house. they are biting me and #####... they are in our beds and bathroom and everywhere else. they only die with a special kind of treatment. a pest control called Will Kill will come out and spray inside and out with the right chemical for less than $150 i would like to get that done ASAP."
Not that I mind doing this, but I would like some more info about the ants and the treatment. Is this a nasty poisonous chemical or something earth friendly? any alternatives.
thanks guys,
Stefanie
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If they are the fire ants I'm familiar with, then Amdro works (Home Depot etc). It's granules that you can sprinkle near the mounds and around the house. They rarely but can move into the house. Usually when found in the house their mound is actually outside. A careful placement of the granules next to the trails inside the house will get rid of them. Look for the outside mounds. You should use care when pets or children are present. After the ants are gone, sweep up the remaining granules.
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
Posts: 55
Threads: 9
Joined: Mar 2006
My tenant has two young kids and a dog. I would like to use something non-toxic if possible.
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As oink alluded, you should first confirm the species of ants before proceeding with any treatment. No point in treating for one species, only to find that it's something else. There are more than one biting ant species possible. You may have to hire a pest control person to do this. Or, maybe someone on this forum might be appropriately skilled and willing to check for you.
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I'm hesitent to mention as I like to think I have a rep to protect but my friend was saying human male urine works here. Doesn't bother regular ants but the red ants hate it. Female urine might work but he doesn't know for sure. Hopefully I'm non-toxic- I mean he's non-toxic[?]
Other people want to make friends- I just want to make money.
James Cramer
that sucks, fire ant bites are super painful.
You really should get a positive ID on the ants from a pro or USDA if she hasn't already, as there's at least one other kind of small red ants that bites but isn't LFA.
You need the ID because specific baits work for specific ants.
And no, I have not heard of a treatment for LFA that isn't pet or child toxic; it's challenging to put the bait in the yard with outside pets, much less inside. I'm so sorry.
You need to read the label on the product ... pest guys are focused on one outcome, killing pests, and often give little thought to toxicity.
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has anyone heard of Will Kill? Are they any good or is one as good as any other?
Posts: 2,656
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Outside applications of Amdro should be safe as you don't have to pute it in such concentrations that a dog or child would pick it up. I never had any problems that way. I'm sure it does kill other insects that find the bait attractive, that you might not want to target. Using it inside is more problematic as it then has to be placed in a safe manner, although neither my beagle or cat has ever taken an interest in it. It sure makes sense to identify which ants you have. The fire ants I have to constantly deal with are, I assume, the large fire and or LFA. They are not very large, but certainily larger than the standard sugar ant and I presume the small fire ant. They sting way more than the regular red ant and are very agressive when their mound is disturbed. Their bite raises a mosquito sized bump but eventually developes into what looks like a tiny boil with a pus head. They are a PITA but like coquies, now that they have arrived, you will have to learn to live with them. You can get rid of them but they will be back. Many people routinely broadcast spread their property on a regular basis to eliminate the problem. I personally have a hard time spreading poison when it isn't badly needed, so I only treat when they become an annoyance.
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
Posts: 589
Threads: 20
Joined: May 2006
Oink, you might be confusing matters here. In the Islands, LFA refers to Little Fire Ant, not Large Fire Ant.
