Getting rid of fire ants in vegetable garden

nanny24 · ‎04-06-2010

I have a pot of chives that fire ants have built a nest in. Any ideas how to rid the ants? I don't want to loose my chives!

brewhaha · ‎07-25-2010

Place some Quaker Oats near the plants. The ants will eat it and when they drink water they will literally explode when the oats expand.

Another effective way to get rid of ants is with orange oil. Mix it with water and some blue dishwashing liquid and spray it on the ants.

software · ‎06-08-2016

If your pot of chives is big enough that you can get your hand around the clump, I would put on a pair of garden gloves and pull the chives out of the pot, roots and all, shake it off and replant in a clean pot.

Or you can cut off all your chives, put them in the freezer.

Fire ants are almost impossible to kill without a strong pesticide.

Most of the time all you can do is relocate them.

Check your surroundings for more mounds, if you find anything that gets rid of them, treat everything.

Personally, I've never seen fire ants in a pot, always in the yard.

@nanny24

Dazlin · ‎03-14-2010

@nanny24wrote:
I have a pot of chives that fire ants have built a nest in. Any ideas how to rid the ants? I don't want to loose my chives!

I've used plain old GRITS...just dump it on. I have a farm, and had lots of chickens and ducks , fire ants would make their way into the coops. I used grits, it's safe for everything, and took care of the problem . Another way....shovel one pile of ants into another ...theyll go at war, and end the cycle. I would do that outside of my coops, in the pastures. If you ever choose the shovel method. ..be careful , as they'll quickly climb up to the handle.