[Ponds-Koi] Help please! - Fish eating poisoned fireants filing into wate…
Linda, Not sure what to suggest for the fireants. They are the bane of existence here in Texas. They are truly evil little creatures. I try not to use chemicals in my yard, but when it comes to fireants, AMDRO!! If you can find a trail of theirs leading away from the pond, you might try a little bit of Amdro. But again, you’ll need to be very careful around the pond. It may not be worth the risk
I believe you could safely use diatomaceous earth (D.E.) around the pond and to work into the nest. D.E. is used in some pond filters, which tells me it is safe to use around your fish. It kills insects by scratching/scoring their exoskelton. Once scratched, the insects dehydrate and die. Please be sure to follow all directions for applying the product. Wear gloves, a mask and eye protection.
For your bites, one of the best remedies I’ve found is soaking the bitten areas in a solution of bleach and water. About 1/2 cup of bleach to a gallon of water. Soak for 10-20 minutes. Or use a wash cloth wetted down with the solution over the area. This seems to neutralize their poison (since they are members of the wasp family and not truly ants). I’ve also used Absorbine Jr. with success too. Anyone who is allergic to wasp/bee stings should be very careful around fireants. Keep benadryl on hand or your epi-pen if you have one of those.
Liane who battles on a regular basis with the demon fire ants.
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