Fire ants are a common problem in many parts of the world. These small insects can cause a lot of damage to crops, plants, and even people if they are not controlled. They are especially problematic in warm climates, where their colonies can grow quickly and spread throughout an area. To protect your home and garden from fire ants, you must find an effective way to kill them.
One popular method is to use Dawn dish soap to kill fire ants. However, you need to know how much Dawn and water to kill ants do you need?
In our guide, you can learn more about does Dawn kill ants or whether it is a myth. By the end, you’ll better understand the different ways to use dish soap to kill ants and other possible other methods you can use in the hope to kill an entire colony. (Learn How To Get Rid Of Ants In Garden Without Killing Plants)
What Are Fire Ants?
Fire ants are small, reddish-brown insects that have a painful sting. They are native to the United States, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Fire ants build large mounds in the ground near their colonies, and these mounds can be seen from a distance. Fire ants feed on plants, insects, and other small creatures, and they can quickly take over an area if their numbers are not controlled.
How to Kill Fire Ants with Dawn Dish Soap
Dawn dish soap is a popular solution for killing fire ants because it is non-toxic and easy to use. To use Dawn dish soap to kill fire ants, mix one tablespoon of Dawn dish soap with every half a gallon of hot water. Add one tablespoon of sugar to the mixture to attract the fire ants. Then, pour the mixture directly on the fire ant hill or ant mound. The soap will kill the fire ants within a few hours.
Requirements
Depending on how much water you’re using, add 2 tablespoons of Dawn dish soap to 1 pint or 1 quart of water if you use less than one gallon. A suitable amount of the active ingredient potassium should be included in the spray to eradicate the fire ants. Ensure that everything is thoroughly blended. Use it to mist the ants from spray bottles. Besides your garden, you may use the spray to eliminate fire ant hills in your yard. Yet, pouring hot water into the anthills is more effective than the homemade spray.
Mealybugs, whiteflies, spider mites, and aphids are soft-bodied bugs that can be controlled by dilution with 20% more water instead of using chemical insecticides. This will assist in reducing the solution toxicity. After that, the spray bottle solution can be safely applied to plants.
How To Make a Homemade Fire Ant killer With Dawn Dish Soap?
Here are the quick steps to make your homemade fire ant killer traps.
- Get some shallow dishes. Add some sugar and fill it with water.
- Add one tbsp of liquid dish detergent to the sugar and water mixture.
- Use plastic foil to cover the soapy water mix.
- Punch a few holes in the foil of your fire ant killer.
- Keep the dishes in areas where fire ants have been seen to be active.
- That’s a great homemade ant trap. The sweet stuff in the mixture will attract the fire ants.
- Fire ants and other insects eat sweet, protein-rich meals.
- You can spread a tiny dab of jelly or jam on the plastic foil to make the bait more alluring to the fire ants.
- The treats in the trap will entice fire ants into it. They’ll also want to enter the trap to take more of the food inside.
- The dish soap will kill any fire ants that try to enter the mixture.
- Keep the trap in the area if you’ve seen fire ant activity. Keep the traps continuously in the following days till you see they are not catching more ants.
- Remove the dead fire ants from the trap the following day and discard them before re-filling.
The traps can be kept in place constantly for a few days or until there are no longer any fire ant sightings. You can also use these for sugar ants or other types, as they all love sweet compounds. There is one thing to remember before using Dawn dish soap with Dawn fire ant killer, though. A fire ant infestation is bad as these ants spread quickly; in a few weeks, they might cover your entire yard and quickly make their way inside your home.
To get rid of these red ants, a professional pest controller would be required rather than rely on dish soap to kill ants. If you noticed fire ant activity in your yard or garden but none inside your home, you may be able to prevent a fire ant infestation instead of using a homemade fire ant killer. You know the answer to will dawn kill ants, yet it may take ant granules to combat a massive swarm. The perimeter of your property can be covered in chemical fire ant baits and fire ant granules. (Read Termites Vs Carpenter Ants Droppings)
These grains attract ants because they sink into the ground. Because the granules are lethal, red fire ants perish when they consume them. Ant granules are also carried back to the fire ant colony. Once the fire ant queens are killed, all the other fire ants die by exposure to this killer, which is how to combat fire ant colonies. And for at least six months, these granules will prevent ants from entering your home. Note: Keep these away from children and pets when used around the house.
Alternative Ways to Kill and Repel Ants
Vinegar and water
Mix equal amounts of water and white vinegar as an ant repellent. Spray your mixture on your countertops, window sills, and high-traffic areas.
Adding baking soda and vinegar directly to anthills can also be effective.
WD-40
Use WD-40 at any location where ants are entering or leaving your home. As long as spray residue is there, the spray will kill the ants and act as a barrier to repel ants from future access.
Chalk
Use ordinary blackboard or ant chalk to draw a line around your home’s entry points to deter ants. The calcium carbonate in the chalk will repel the ants. (Read Can You Mix Dawn And Vinegar)
Boiling water
A flowerpot will help you quench the problem of fire ants in your yard or patio if you’re tired of getting stung by those tiny invaders. Over the ant hill, place the pot upside down. You will permanently burn them, and their home with hot water poured directly onto the ant hill. If you need a quick time-saving solution, this is it, yet it may not be a long-lasting solution around your house.
Citrus
Ant traps and insecticides are not necessary to ant-proof your kitchen. Give it the lemon treatment. On door thresholds and windowsills, first, squirt some lemon juice. Finally, squeeze the lemon juice into any gaps or crevices where ants enter. Next, sprinkle small slices of lemon peel all around the front door.
Coffee
Your home’s garden and exterior should be sprinkled with used coffee grounds. Ants are repelled by the scent given off by coffee grounds, and as a bonus, coffee grounds benefit your soil and plants.
Diatomaceous Earth
For many, the first line of defense is diatomaceous earth since it is safe, accessible, and works! Make you use food-grade diatomaceous earth to keep your home ant free. Sprinkle the food-grade DE around your home’s exterior. As long as it is food-grade, it is completely non-toxic, so you can sprinkle it inside where you see the ants.
Make sure you have a powder duster on hand if the diatomaceous earth you choose does not come with one so you can strategically place the DE. The minute the ants (or other crawling insects) step into the fine powder, they will perish as the DE subtly breaks through their tough exoskeletons. (Learn How To Get Rid Of Gnats With Dawn Dish Soap)
It is one of the most effective fire ant killer ant control solutions and can also be used for carpenter ants. This form of fire ant killer needs re-application if it gets wet.
