Non Toxic Extermination of Fire Ants
Did I say extermination? I really meant, relocation. We have fire ant piles around the property here and there. We aren’t being over run with fire ants, but we definitely have to be careful walking around in bare feet and weeding. There is a bit of a pride issue when I deal with fire ants. My thoughts are that this is MY HOUSE AND MY YARD and I want to have control over it. The bottom line is that you just can’t control the insects that decide to build a home on your property down here. Sure, you could use chemicals or an exterminator in real extreme situations (like if they infiltrated your home), but for the most part the insects, reptiles and animals of Puerto Rico are going to do what they want.
Last week a giant fire ant pile popped up on my precious front lawn right next to the walkway I built. At first I was thinking of going and getting some chemicals at Home Depot, but while researching fire ant extermination on the Internet, I found out that fire ants consume populations of fleas, ticks, termites, cockroaches, chinch bugs, mosquito eggs, mosquito larva and scorpions! Now, I don’t like any of the above mentioned creatures so I decided I would rather have the ants on the property (meaning don’t kill the little guys) but get them to move their homestead somewhere else.
Up to this point, I have either tried to kill them all or flood them out of their home with the hose. The hose deal almost never works unless you let it running on their pile for a couple hours, and it still isn’t that successful. With that, I tried a home ready for exterminating fire ants that a buddy told me about a couple weeks ago. I simply poured my extra morning coffee and coffee grounds on the pile for 3 days straight every morning. This morning was day four and they have officially abandoned there ant pile. Hopefully they will move off of the lawn when they build their new home.
I sure hope they are hungry.
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October 3rd, 2008 at 7:31 am
That is funny, I use coffee every morning to get the fire ants out of my colon
October 3rd, 2008 at 11:13 am
Van…that is very interesting
October 6th, 2008 at 6:15 am
When I lived in the jungle, I, too, was in the business of relocating fire ants constantly: from the yard and the drive. I did not know the coffee trick, but disturbing their piles with long, mountain walking stick did the trick every time. Though not for long, I am sorry to say. They would abandon the pile, tyhan in a week or so forgot why and return to it, so you need to keep relocating them… unless coffee truly is the magic solution.
October 7th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
Ah, fire ants.
When I was a super little Super Baby G (like 5 years old) I climbed on top of a pile of fire ants in Ponce, Puerto Rico.
Not a G Move.
I remember my Dad had to spray me off with a hose.
Thanks Dad.
- MPM
October 12th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
I have been the victim of fire ants for as long as I can remember and after all these years they have not forgotten my taste, they bite me ALL THE TIME, but so far they have not bothered my husband Frank. And we are outside at the same time, with the same type of sandals, but they find me and leave him alone. I guess I am sweeter than Frank but gee, my toes swell when they bite me!
October 21st, 2008 at 8:18 pm
In the morning, I pour my coffee from the day before into an empty milk jug. when the jug is full, I pour the coffee on some ants. but when I pour it on the ants, the coffee is about 3 weeks old. your solution may relocate them, but this does better. this kills them on contact.
I have heard the coffee ground story before, in fact, that was my inspiration for the old coffee.
January 13th, 2010 at 10:32 am
So I visited Rincon for two weeks – had a blast but was looking for some info. While there i was bitten repeatedly by something all over my toes. The bites (?) itched terribly – kinda like blistered then scabbed over. It has been a week and a half since I have been back home and the marks/scabs still visible and have blackened and still abit itchy. Any idea what bit me. I think it occurred while sleeping in the bed. It appears that these bites may scar :< Thanks for any ideas.
January 13th, 2010 at 4:59 pm
Sounds like ants to me. All of the ant bites I’ve gotten in the yard turn into little blisters and are super itchy. The scabs are probably from itching them (I always do and the same happens to me).
June 24th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
This is interesting and the only reason I’m even reading this is because I have these dinky little piss ants everywhere and they invade my coffee cup when I set it down, but I noticed they die in it when there is just a tiny bit of coffee left in the cup and so i did a google search for “is coffee toxic to ants” and wallah! It lead me here.
Well.. I live here in Texas and we get most varieties of man eating ants here as well and being as skinny as i am and the fact I have to walk with a cane VERY slowly wherever I go I’m getting worried someday some ant will just haul me off to the home front so the friendly neighborhood ants can devour me live! Have there been any reports of ants eating someone alive lately?
For the past 5 yrs I have lived in a shed in an old womans backyard and I make my coffee out on a table in the backyard so I now have a HUGE pile of old coffee grounds out there and it’s nice to know I can now build a wall of defense around my shed made entirely from coffee grounds!
WOOHOO!