Question: Can Orkin control fire ants ?  How often does a property need to be treated?

ANSWER   Fire ants are difficult to control for several reasons: the colonies are often very large and extend under the ground a great distance; colonies often have multiple queens, so they can recover if a part of the colony and a queen or two have been killed; and they often occur in large numbers, so that when you have eliminated one colony another will likely more in to occupy the space.

There are some commercial control devices and materials for fire ants. They are usually in the form of something that probes the center of the nest and delivers a liquid, granular or dust insecticide into the site. These are effective because they deliver the material close to the center of the nest and there is little or no exposure to chemicals at the surface. Of course, you have to locate and get on top of the nest site to do this!

There are some granular insecticides that can be applied to the yard and give yearlong control. These may be available at the local garden center or from a professional pest control service.

Indoors it is best to use baits to control them. Liquid baits are the best, but granular and other formulations may also work. Baiting takes time and it may be best to use more than one kind or brand-ants frequently switch their feeding habits, and you should be ready with another type bait.

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Related Questions: The Orkin Man used the information above to also answer the following questions submitted by Orkin.com users.

Question: I have ants. I called about what I can do and they told me that I could get an initial visit done, and then an additional 3 visits to control them. Do I need all 4 visits?

ANSWER: Ant control is usually not done with one application, it may take three or more, depending on the infestation.