- Fire ants are aggressive and aggressive insects – have you entered their territory? Expect stings and burns.
- The overall treatment for fire ant control is a combination of spraying pesticides and distributing baits to kill the nest from the root.
- The fire ant phenomenon is no longer limited to yard owners, but also those who live in buildings may encounter them in the building’s yard. Through the building’s yard, they may reach the apartments.
- Fire ants are reddish-brown in color. Look for them in the yard on drips and near water sources, and in the house in holes in walls and floors.
- The price of fire ant extermination is on average 100-200 NIS more expensive than extermination of regular ants (depending on the area and the amount of berries – the same berries that they take to the nest and poison it from the root, at the same time as spraying).
| Characteristics of the fire ant | In detail about the fire ant |
|---|---|
| The fire ant is dangerous. | The fire ant is defined as an “invasive” ant. Not only is it taking over more and more parts of the country, but wherever it is found, it is eliminating the local ants. |
| What does a fire ant look like? | The fire ant is a light brown-red color. It received the nickname “fire” both because of its color and because of the burning intensity of its bite. |
| Where is the fire ant’s nest? | Have you had fire ants in your home? Treatment at home will be the same as treatment outside – that’s where we find their nests (unlike regular ants, which also build nests inside homes). |
| So what is the solution? | Spraying with highly concentrated Temprid (4 cc per liter – which will kill most of the “working” ants + using granulator/topgrain (which they take to the nest and poison the nest from the root) |
Fire ant extermination – price
- Fire ant extermination in an apartment – starting at 350 NIS
- Fire ant extermination in a private home – starting at 450 NIS
- Fire ant extermination in a building – starting at 450 NIS
- In fire ant control, the price varies depending on the size of the area that needs to be sprayed, the number of baits that need to be placed, and more (that’s why there is no uniform price).
Fire ant control – a nuisance
Fire ants are not just an eyesore. The fire ant is an aggressive, stinging insect.
Their bites feel like a burn and are usually not a single bite.
Once you are stung by a fire ant, you have probably invaded its territory.
To combat these pests, you need to understand how they work, study their behavior, and know what materials can be used, or if you call us, you will know in advance what materials the exterminator is going to use for you.
This short guide to fire ant control will explain how to get rid of fire ants and protect yourself and your family.
Identifying the fire ant
When you’re looking for how to get rid of fire ants, it can seem a bit daunting and a little daunting (they come in the hundreds) – especially when you come across an ant nest in the yard, garden (or in rare cases, even in the house!).
While there are several varieties of fire ants, they all come in a red color.
Fire ants are known for their sting, and while in the past they were the preserve of yard owners only, today fire ants also come to building yards and from there to your private homes and apartments!
Most fire ants have a similar structure – they are bright red and range in size from 0.3 to 0.6 cm. Like the ants you know, fire ants live in colonies (nests) and they too have a very defined social structure – a queen, workers, and reproductive ants.
Where are the fire ants located?
Fire ants live in nests – a nest can have one queen or a group of queens. Within a month of establishing the nest, the colony can grow to thousands (therefore, if you are identified or stung by fire ants, you should treat them as soon as possible).
They are very aggressive and violent (not unlike the famous proverb from the Book of Proverbs). They will brutally attack anyone who invades them or disturbs their nest – and they will not only be busy finding and storing food for the winter.
How do you get rid of fire ants?
It is important to know that there are several ways to get rid of fire ants, and it depends on their location, meaning – do you only see them in the house or only in the garden, or if you are unlucky, then both? There are more and less toxic methods, and mainly differences between the materials, and it depends on the severity of the phenomenon and its location (inside or outside the house).
Fire ants are most active in late spring (April – June) until early winter! Keep in mind that you may encounter fire ants even in early December (in complete contrast to other types of ants). There are also fire ants nests that are active year-round, but this is rarer.
If you encountered fire ants last year, it is advisable to get a cure before the plague and start treatment in early April (otherwise, by the end of the summer, it will be much more expensive and challenging to control the phenomenon).
There are many types of substances that will kill the ants you see (yes, even high-pressure water), but the idea behind treating fire ants is to treat the nest. Until we treat the root of the problem, unfortunately, the problem will not go away, but may be postponed for a few days – therefore, treating fire ants must include reducing the population by spraying and baiting the working ants with them to the nest and poisoning the nest from the ground up.
Distributing bait for fire ants
Baits work slowly – when compared to other treatment methods, there is no doubt that bait treatment is effective, but if done alone (for example, just by scattering fire ant pellets), the treatment will take a long time and is not certain to be successful if the infestation is high.
Most baits contain high-intensity attractants (over 99.9%) and contain corn kernels combined with a very low-impact pesticide (0.05%).
The ants will take the “food” (ant poison – the granules) back to their nest, where once the food is eaten by the queen, she will die or become infertile – which will destroy the nest.
The baits have low toxicity – be careful that your animals do not eat them and they should be spread over the infested areas.
Starting in February 2024, we will be Mezikis the gels and baits we use for fire ants at the Magicis store – at fair prices and with Mezikis ‘s assistance – enter the Mezikis store and start taking care of the fire ants – yourself!
Did you find anthills? Sand mounds?
You should pour pesticide directly into the nest – which will destroy the nest quickly (relatively, right? – with the scattering of granules, the process can take up to 14 days). Within minutes to several hours, the pesticide will penetrate the ant nest, which is located underground, and destroy the fire ant nest – if you only spray directly into the nest, no traces of pesticide will remain outside the nest itself.
There are powders that contain pesticides and work great against fire ants, but they usually leave more traces of the pesticide – using them without an insecticide can be extremely dangerous! There are wet powders that only work in combination with water and can be poured directly into the nest, but this is not recommended, is dangerous, and is only suitable for professionals with experience in the field.
The most effective way to get rid of fire ants
The most effective way to control fire ants is to combine both methods – pesticide treatment combined with baits.
Most of the time, the baits will not be in the sprayed areas or only after the sprayed areas have completely dried.
From the moment of spraying until the ants completely disappear, it will take between one and 14 business days (just), due to the fact that the spraying will reduce the overall ant population and the ants that remain after spraying will take the bait with them to feed the queen.
Remember – once we destroyed the queen – we destroyed the nest.
Fire ant extermination price
The average cost of fire ant treatment is usually 150-200 NIS higher than ant extermination, mainly because of the baits, the best of which are very expensive.
It is important to know and note that there are products that are sold to the general public, but in most cases, home treatment will not be very effective for fire ants, unlike other pests. The reasons for this are that you will usually need a lot of bait (and patience), and the process itself is very expensive for the general public, and the pesticides that are sold to the general public contain a percentage of active ingredient that is significantly smaller than the percentage of active ingredient needed to treat fire ants.
However – if you have purchased household materials and would like to ask us how to use them – contact us and we will help with love!
And if you would like to invite us to eradicate this phenomenon once and for all – we are here for you.
What home remedy can kill fire ants?
Mix vinegar, baking soda, and water and pour the mixture over the ant nest or spray the mixture where you have seen the ants walking. The smell of the vinegar will keep the ants away but may leave you with a slightly unpleasant vinegar smell.
How to get rid of fire ants forever?
The only way to get rid of fire ants is to combine two methods – spraying to reduce the fire ant population and spreading bait that the ants will take to the nest and poison the nest from the root.
Where is the fire ant?
Fire ants will first come to your yard and only then into your houses. Inside your house, look for holes in the walls or tiles – that’s where they usually come from. In your yard, look by water sources, drippers, and irrigation pipes.
How can you treat fire ants without using pesticides?
Just by finding the nests and destroying them with any liquid.
Can dishwashing liquid kill fire ants?
Only if you mix dish soap and water and pour it into the nest, then yes. The dish soap penetrates their skeleton and kills them. But it won’t be effective to spray dish soap and water like you would spray a pesticide.
Can salt kill fire ants?
Mix salt with water – spray directly on the fire ants and voila! This solution will kill the fire ants – the salt dries out the ants’ skeletons, thereby killing them – just keep in mind that this is only effective if you spray the mixture directly on the fire ants.
Fire ant activity time – day or night?
Fire ants primarily search for food in temperatures ranging from 19-30 degrees. Therefore, on hot summer days, you will most likely not see them – they will burrow underground. In spring, autumn, and even until the beginning of winter, you will see fire ants in full force searching for food.
Does the fire ant have a biological pest control?
The beginning of biological pest control is when one insect is an enemy of another insect. In the case of fire ants – it is not.
Fire ant extermination price – How much does it cost to exterminate fire ants?
| House size | Fire ant extermination price |
| Empty studio apartment | Starting from 300 NIS |
| 1-2 room apartment | Starting from 350 NIS |
| 3-room apartment | Starting from 450 NIS |
| 4-room apartment | Starting from 550 NIS |
| 5-room apartment | Starting from 600 NIS |
| 6-room apartment | Starting from 650 NIS |
| Private house | Starting from 500 NIS |
Fire Ant Control – Frequently Asked Questions
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