Fwd: Hot Water Kills Ants
- To: i*@disknet.com
- Subject: Fwd: Hot Water Kills Ants
- From: C*@aol.com
- Date: Fri, 18 Jun 1999 10:33:41 EDT
In a message dated 6/17/99 10:37:42 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
indbio@disknet.com writes:
<<
Was that Fire ants that she got rid of?
>>
Harold:
Yes, I was referring to fire ants. For those who aren't familiar with these
little devils, they are tiny red ants that are very industrious, creating
mounds of loose soil at the surface of their underground tunnels.
The problems come when an unwary intruder disturbs the mound. These ants
react immediately by swarming and biting. The bites are more like burning
stings, hence the name "fire" ants. Their modus operendi is to cover the
intruder and bite. Millions of ants occupy the mounds and they can be up your
pants legs before you know it.
Sometimes, these ants can invade bags of topsoil or landscape timbers. I
found this out the hard way....early in the spring, I picked up an infested
bag of topsoil. I was quick enough to drop it and peel off my sweatshirt to
avoid bites, but got nailed later in the season when I reached down to adjust
a landscape timber supporting a vine and discovered millions of ants covering
(and biting) both my hands and forearms.
Bites from these ants cause pain and swelling, then leave little pustules
which take about a week or so to heal. It's much easier to get rid of them
than to deal with the aftermath of their bites. This is particularly true if
you have toddlers or young children in ant infested areas.
Amdro fire ant bait works in some areas, but is pointless where large
colonies are well established. They are everywhere here in the South, where
the climate is such that the ground never freezes.
The hot water treatment worked well and sure beats loading up the soil with
chemicals. It's certainly a cost effective alternative.
Of course, care needs to be taken with hot water as well, you wouldn't want
to cook the roots of nearby plants. My friends were clearing the ants from
their expansive lawn before a large garden party, so the hot water worked
perfectly.
Barb
- To: pumpkins@mallorn.com
- Subject: RE: Hot Water Kills Ants
- From: H* E* P*
- Date: Wed, 16 Jun 1999 10:25:56 -0700
- References:
> buying chemicals and decided a basic approach was best: she drenched the ant
> mounds and tunnels with hot water. She reported huge success, and vows it was
> worth the trouble of heating the water and carrying it to the site. She
> treated a 3 acre area.
> Barb
> Orlando, FL
Was that Fire ants that she got rid of?
--
Harold Eddleman Ph.D. Microbiologist. i*@disknet.com
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