3 Things To Do After You Find A Fire Ant Nest
If you're walking around your yard and notice a mound of freshly turned dirt, you might be tempted to just stomp the dirt back into the earth. However, you should avoid doing this, as a mound of dirt is indicative of a fire ant nest. When the fire ants tunnel through your yard, they push the soil up, creating one or more dirt mounts around their colony. Should you discover a fire ant nest in your yard, here are a few things you should do.
1. Treat Your Yard with a Fire Ant Insecticide
Unfortunately, simply destroying the mound of dirt associated with fire ants isn't sufficient to rid them from your yard. The mound of dirt is merely a sign of a fire ant infestation and not necessarily where the fire ants live. Instead, the fire ants are typically found in tunnels throughout your yard.
To rid your yard of fire ants, you need to treat your yard with an insecticide. Though general insecticides that target multiple types of insects may work, it's usually more effective to treat using an insecticide specifically for fire ants. Not only will this prevent the death of harmless insects, but it will specifically target the fire ant colony.
The fire ants will take the bait that contains the pesticide and transport it back to their colony, where it will then kill the ants underground, including the queen. It's important to kill all the fire ants, as it only takes a few to start a new colony. You should regularly retreat your yard to make sure the fire ants don't make a reappearance.
2. Check Your HVAC and AC Units
Fire ants will create nests in the soil near the structures or foundations of buildings, which are common areas for your HVAC and AC units to be located. Make sure that you examine your HVAC and AC units to ensure that the ants haven't made their way into your heating and cooling systems.
If they have, they may be in your home or on their way into your home. You'll need to treat your home's interior as well as the exterior if there's evidence of entry.
3. Seal Any Cracks in Your Home
It's also possible for fire ants to enter your home via any cracks or unsealed crevices in your home. Take time to examine your home and check that you don't have any potential entry points. Caulk and seal any problematic areas, and make sure that your weather-stripping around your doors and windows is sufficient to keep the fire ants out of your home.
Talk to a pest prevention company to learn more.
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