Southern cooking for ant control

[Jo Ann]

I was reading this last summer a book on cheap ideas for gardening they suggested to get rid of ants feed them dry grits. I don’t remember if your suppose to use instant or regular. I’m guessing the theory is after the ant eats the grit and then drinks some fluid the grit will swell up inside it and kill it. Just wondering if anybody else has heard of this. Do you think it would work or would the ants just have a nice breakfast?...

[cb977]

I've done it and it works for a little while. Here in Florida, the ants and bugs just don't stop!

Uncooked instant grits, they eat it and go BOOM!!!

[Jo Ann]

Thanks Susanne,

I’ll give it a try then. I kinda felt a little foolish walking around with a bag of grits feeding the ant piles. You’re so very right the ants and bugs are very bad here. I’m still fighting off aphids….and it’s December…!!!..

[Lindanc]

From what I understand the grits isn't very effective. Fire ants are "new" in NC. I was the first person in the county I live in that almost die from the stings (bad allergic reaction and I only had 7 stings!). So they can be very dangerous for some people (pets too). Since my episode there have been 3 people here that have died.

I do a broadcast treatment on my yard called Top Choice, it can only be applied by a landscaper or pest control person whom is licensed. My landscaper does it for me. It is the same chemical that is used in Front Line Flea control on pets (so fairly safe is applied correctly). It will last about 6 months. Than I use Andro (not sure if that is spelled right) on the individual mounds that may pop up (which aren't many). This is a bait treatment that you can buy at Lowe's or Home Depot. This takes care of them pretty good. I also get my pest control guy to spray the outside of the house around doors and windows and apply bait to the crawl space.

This type of treatment is pretty heavy artillery, I know. But when the things can kill you this is the way to go.

Here's the deal with fire ants. They CAN get in your house and build nest in the walls and if this happens they are pretty hard to get rid of (hate to think of anybody being stung by the things and ending up in the hospital AFTER they find out they are nesting in their walls) - they can also get in your electrical equipment and chew the wires. Once they are well established in your yard they are real hard to get rid of also. They will make underground tunnels and nest that you can't even see - so you have a lot more than what you are seeing.

Another important thing - do not disturb the mounds they will just move to another location in your yard and they are aggressive and they can attack you very quickly.

[cb977]

Hi Linda

Yes, they are nasty little buggers!

We have our lawn treated...AND my husband does treatments in between visits from the lawn service...AND we use the grits!

In my eyes, if I can blow up a few of them along the way, all is right with the world

[Lindanc]

I might get my son to try some grits! Me- I stay as FAAARRRR away from them as I can.

The nasty little things did get in my house the year after I got stung by them and I had to make an emergency call to my pest guy! Amost like a 911 call to kill ants! He got here pretty fast!

He found the darn hill in my next door neighbors yard and didn't want to treat the neighbors yard - well I told him to do it and I would take the blame! He did and said it was one of the biggest hills he had ever seen! Millions of those little buggers tried to get him! He stuck a insectcide applicator down in the hole and it went 3 feet down!

[cb977]

You need to be more careful than most of us...stay far far away!!!

[Tindomul]

It would be cool to do some cast impressions of the nest. Fill those wholes with plaster till it overflows and dig it out. I know, a lot of work, but hey you guys down there can probably find a group of scientists willing to do it so they can publish a paper. And they'd probably do it for free being thankful for the opportunity. And of course killing the ants in the process. Stay safe!

[Lindanc]

yeah, that would be pretty neat - than display the thing - it would probably scare the daylights out of some folks!

Can you imagine the size of that thing in my neighbors yard and he has kids! Glad one of them didn't fall in the darn thing. I'm the one that paid to get rid of it just because it scared me so bad!

The pest guy said, "Go in the house, and don't come out NO MATTER WHAT!". Geez oh Pete! I watched him real close to make sure they didn't get him (watching through a window).

[dawnv]

here is a favorite eHow web site that I go to for natural alternatives for zapping those little ants, here is the link...

How to Get Rid of Ants Naturally | eHow.com

It has a nice step-by-step procedure for killing ants, etc...