An Organic Breakthrough in the Battle with Fire Ants

Where There's Heat, There's Fire Ants

It is rare that I get the pleasure of sharing gardening chores with my darling husband, aka The Couch Potato. He does mow the lawn each week, however, and I especially enjoy those moments when I can glance across the lawn at him huffing away behind our heavy Scott's mulching mower, and cast a loving smile in his direction.

A couple of weekends ago, I got to watch him dance. Flitting about, waving the arms and jumping up and down are not movements commonly seen in our yard, but I myself have done this dance a few times. It's called the Funky Fire Ant.

As he ran past me and headed for our swimming pool, howling in pain, I noticed my poor hubby's sandalled feet were covered with ants from a hill he'd unknowingly mowed over. He came away with only about four bites on each foot, luckily. Needless to say, he'll not be mowing the lawn in sandals any longer.

Let me assure you that I do not take the subject of fire ants lightly. For those of you who haven't experienced these destructive creatures firsthand, a bit of history courtesy of the web site antcolony.org:

"Fire ants are originally from South America, where dozens of fire ant species exist. There have been two introductions of fire ants, which have led to current problems. The first was the black imported fire ant, Solenopsis richteri, which was likely brought from Argentina in ship ballast to Mobile, Alabama, in 1918. A second and by far the most damaging species, Solenopsis invicta, known as the red imported fire ant, arrived in Mobile sometime in the late 1920s or early 1930s, probably also in ship ballast.

"Over the last 76 years, imported fire ants have spread to infest over nine southern states and over 275 million acres within the United States. However, the spread is only part of the problem. As they spread, the number of mounds, each containing several hundred thousand stinging ants, reaches densities of up to 1,000/acre."

Kiss My Grits

If you've ever been stung by a fire ant, those statistics will make you shudder. Not only for the sheer number of ants in each mound, but the fact that individual ants can administer several stings like a wasp. The wound usually forms into a painful, pimple-like pustule. While the majority of stings are not severe, some people are allergic and can suffer a serious reaction including hives, swelling, nausea, vomiting, and shock. People exhibiting these symptoms after being stung by fire ants should get medical attention immediately.

The copyright of the article An Organic Breakthrough in the Battle with Fire Ants in Organic Gardens is owned by Tamara Galbraith. Permission to republish An Organic Breakthrough in the Battle with Fire Ants in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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