by Jene' Young
Published: Wed, January 21, 2009 - 2:18 pm CST
Last Updated: Wed, January 21, 2009 - 2:41 pm CST
Fire ants have been around Mobile longer than many of us. They first arrived to the Port City 80 years ago, and spread throughout the country. Fire ants are usually quiet in winter, but this winter is a different story.
James Miles with the Alabama Cooperative Extension says the cure takes time.
"People think that if they treat their mound with a bait, they will get a kill in two or three days. That's not how it works, it takes about 6 weeks for the baits to kill the mound."
Fighting fire ants with fire --- or hot water for that matter -- is a bad idea.
"No fire, no gasoline, no diesel fuel, no grits, none of that.The thing about going out there and pouring hot water on them, you will move them but you're not going to kill them."
Miles says the reason we're seeing more fire ants this winter is because the temperatures have been relatively mild -- except for the past few days.
Despite their pesky pinch, these predators do have a role in life.
"People think that they are just a pests or plant pests. They eat other insects, they eat dead insects, and insect eggs, so they actually have a pretty good role in society; we just don't have enough of the beneficial checks to keep them in check."
Miles says you should wait until spring to get the fire ant bait ready. That's when the ants are most active and are feeding.
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