Thanks, I was already planning to try the orange oil and appreciate all the tips on use. Talking with people over the years, I've been amazed at the ineffective methods that folks swear by. In my area a favorite one (absolutely does not work) is grits. A former employer ordered me to apply dry grits on a 50 acre property to "kill" fire ants. When he asked about the result I told him, "The ants said, 'next time cook them please, they taste better that way'". He didn't seem amused.
Lol grits. Yea, there are a ton of crazy remedies out there. The orange oil works really well. I still use poison when it is away from my garden and kids but always the orange oil in their presence. You can find the Amazon link for a good brand in the description. Good luck with those ants.
I've been trying out the orange oil mixture on some established fire ant mounds on our property. It does work. One tip I would give is to be prepared to use a LOT of it. Drenching a large mound effectively can take 3-4 gallons, which can become more challenging if you're some distance from a water source.
@@CountryLivingExperience Do you have the recipe ? I am also fighting them, and am allergic. I don't want them near my family and this spring they set up their camps near my house. I've already been stung by a handful on my ankle while hanging up Laundry. Thank you. 💐
@@CountryLivingExperienceI’m buying the cold pressed orange oil. I have two fur babies and nieces/nephews who are always over. Have tried everything to get rid of those pets of Lucifer’s.
Orange oil is chemically "D-Limonene." I use it straight undiluted to prevent Termite infestation about $450.00 per 55 gallon drum.. Saturate the ground around the foundation. If you have a crawl space saturate both sides inside and outside. It is a non-toxic termite treatment. I apply around my buildings once per year. My house was built in 1890 and I expect it to last for another 130 years.
I'll have to try this! I have a little over a quarter-acre garden area that is overrun by fire ants. Not to mention the ones in the remaining 2-acres of my home. I've tried everything! Just got a lot of free mulch that I can't even spread due to these pests.
It is great for the garden near your veggies and kids if you have any. I use a more harsh poison on other parts of my property that are far from my edibles. They are such a terrible invasive species and need to be destroyed any way possible.
Great video. Just a point however. Orange oil IS a mixture of chemicals. They might be natural or bio-chemicals (made by a living organism) but they are still chemicals. The active ingredient in orange peel oil (as with most citrus fruits) is probably D-limonene. The "D" indicates which direction a solution of the chemical rotates light but that is a minor point. The main point is D-limonene is terpenoid and while generally recognized as safe (GRAS) it does have some toxicity to humans if used in an improper manner. D-limonene was once considered to be a carcinognen because it increased the incidence of renal tumors in male rats (but not female). Additional studies have put those results into perspective and today most toxicological evidence suggest that d-limonene does NOT present a mutagenic or carcinogenic risk and is not toxic to human kidneys if used as recommended. However is can be a "sensitizer"to some individuals. It has some volatility and can cause eye and skin irritation and has been known to cause some respiratory distress when chemical is inhaled by certain sensitive individuals. I believe the product you can buy as "pure" orange oil is about 90% d--limonene? Because of of its toxic properties to insects d-limonene is used in many commercial pesticides actually.
I work at a factory of orange juice. We extract d-limonene from the peels. Its a quimical strong solvent. In the leaves burns and kill the plant. I dont kill ants. I feed them whith oranges roth cut in peaces. This is bad for them also, and expose them to theirs enemies, like birds.
Thank you it was my thought too. Orange oil was used in the printing industry because it was a brilliant degreaser and ink cleaner but was found to be carcinogenic.
I will have to look that up and get some I am deathly allergic to ant bites. I just had my fifth and worst episode of anaphylactic shock. I need something to take care of ants! Thank you so much for this heads up
Fire ants don't eat sweet, they do eat meat. A can of potted meat with a tablespoon of boric acid mixed into it turned over on the hill will be emptyed overnight. Sometimes the amount of acid will need to be reduced for them to take the bait. I usually keep a blender just for garden use and blend grasshoppers and crickets with boric acid for meat eating ants.
When I lived in the Texas Hill Country the fire ants were pretty bad. Orange oil does work just as you describe; however, so does paint thinner, which is significantly less expensive. Same ratio. I used a little dish soap in the mix so the water and oil would mix well and drain down into the mound. I also found that a day or two later, a satellite mound would appear. I suspect it was there all the time, but did not make itself known until the first mound was gone. I also tried it with a product called Super Clean, which is an engine degreaser found at auto parts stores.
I found a fire ant mound that resembled a small volcano. Looking around, I found about 20 more mounds in the same area! I bought some ant killer from Lowe's, Ortho I think, a white powder you sprinkle on top of the mound. I applied it to all the hills and a day later all were dead. Of course these hills were nowhere near my small garden.
Those mounds sure do get big. Most poisons work well and I do use them away from my kids and garden. This video is about the best organic way to kill them.
Wow, never heard of this till now. We have ant hills in the orchard and they are horrible and nothing else has worked yet. I will have to try this, thanks.
Couple of things you can research. Diatomaceous Earth, and Permethrin. The first one is at pool supply stores. Cheap. The 2nd one I use at a 0.5% solution and spray on the mound with a hand sprayer. Both are cheap to use. Permethrin is made from an extract from the Chrysanthemum flower. Both are non toxic to animals.
Thank you but Why? I gave a solution in the video that works extremely well and is safe and organic. I was not asking for solutions. Permethrin is a synthetic chemical. "Permethrin is an insecticide in the pyrethroid family. Pyrethroids are synthetic chemicals that act like natural extracts from the chrysanthemum flower." - National Pesticide Information Center. While it is approved by the EPA and is contained in many products, I do not trust it near my children or organic garden. DE works somewhat but is extremely slow and will not kill the queen unless she ventures up to the surface where spread. This renders it almost useless. I don't want to be rude and I am thankful for advice.
@@johnmal5975 works only on critters that have exoskeletons. That includes lice and mites that get on feathered creatures. I’ve used it for 20 years in my PM houses.
This would probably only work on fire ants as their strategy for flooding is to evacuate the nest to the surface and make a raft out of their bodies, something that helps them survive in the Amazon. That'll bring them into contact with your mixture. Most other ants have flood defenses like chambers that hold large air bubbles so they can stay dry when heavy rain falls. Maybe for different species, a different solution is needed. I'm glad there's nothing like those over here though. :)
It does work well on fire ants. For the ants who are not killed, they move far away because of the scent. I have never had a mound in the same area after a treatment.
@@djrickmendez255 DE works as a deterrent but as soon as it rains its washed away or cakes up and is useless. They also don't eat it or bring it to the queen, so the mound is not destroyed. I use DE in a tray that I put my cat food dishes in, and it works perfect for keeping ants out of their food, but it doesn't work for killing the ants at their source.
@@CountryLivingExperience I tried borax also, with the same result. Fire ants aren't interested. Today, I found out that there are "protein" loving ants (perhaps fire ants?), and "sugar" loving ants (perhaps the other more common non fire ant types?) It was suggested to add gelatin and the borax. I don't know, but I'm going to give it a try since water, gelatin and borax aren't poisonous to soil or plants.
Would have liked to see you dig in the mound a few days later and see how effective it really was. I am not convinced you really did any damage to the mound. How about a follow up video that is a little bit more conclusive. Thanks
Johnathon, sorry for any misunderstand, I would never imply you are a liar. It's hard to see how it can work when they dig so deep. I have watched another video, he just applied pretty much the same thing with a sprayer. He checked the mound a few days later and it was annihilated. Sooo, you are definitely on to a good way to be rid of them. I will try it. Thanks for your video.
No worries. Thank you for the follow up comment. Each mound is different for sure. You need to soak it enough to get down and kill the queen. The bigger the mound, the more liquid. That is the case with any synthetic poison as well. The orange oil is so amazing because it does not harm my organic garden and I feel 100% confident with it around my kids and animals.
@@Rob6648 What video is that? I am not convinced that just spraying with dilute, or concentrated, orange oil will kill the entire mound. I've got an ongoing problem with fire ants and I am suspecting they are just moving from one place to another depending on where I spray them. I'm curious about that video if you've got the link please?
Hum Rod I knew someone who had his whole backyard exterminated and he was never troubled again but the company probably used chemicals but maybe do the whole yard with orange oil? What about diamateous earth?
Should not be a problem but I have not tried it. I pour it on mounds near my vegetable plants and it does not affect them. I have also sprayed it on mixed with soap on leaves with no issues.
I absolutely love orange oil, I order it by the gallons to not only use as bug spray but to make our own spray cleaners for home use. In regards to the garden, I would also put some Castile soap but, I was watching a video about some folks using bay shampoo as it does not kill bacteria, which is what you want when spraying plants and the soil. The Equate baby shampoo brand is very cheap, in case you don’t have Castile soap around. Question: Did it ever burned the grass with this ratio of orange oil? Thanks for the video!!!
There is probably a comment in here with the same suggestion I am about to make but don't really have the time this morning to read them all. Sorry if it's a duplicate. What I finally found that I could use on my property (garden included) is dish washing soap. If you do this VERY early in the morning or VERY late in the evening while the ants are all in their mound it will be best. I mix the dish washing liquid with water...and I mix it really strong. Then take a long piece of rebar--3/8" works well since it is not too big. About 4' long at least. Stick about 6 holes really deeply into the mound. Then slowly pour your bucket of solution into the holes...I usually make about a 2 gallon dose. Hopefully that kills the queen and many of the rest of the crew living there. Jesus bless.
Just stumbled across your page on another topic and then saw this video. Thanks for the tip and i am now subscribed. It will be interesting to see all your advice.
I have just made an organic raised veggie bed 4' tall x 8' I live in Houston and well aware of fire ants. Will they invade my garden on the inside? Will regular fire ant killer affect my garden if I find them on the outside of my bed? I'm so glad I stumbled across your CZcams channel. Thank you.
Thank you. It should not affect anything negatively if you use it around the base of your raised beds. We used to live in Houston. I know your pain ;-)
The Borax works.... if you boil your water first.... to dissolve the Borax....and use peanut butter...They like the protein. And will then take it back into their nest. This works in Hawaii anyway
@@CountryLivingExperience Good job on the Fire Ants ...👏👏👏 But I do believe He was right , Borax ( Boric Acid ) Does work , you're just not using it right ... For 1 , you have some ants that are more finicky than others & just won't take the bait ...That's because you must've used too much Borax with your sugar...... Also , take your Bor x & put it in a blender with some boiling water to get the Borax properly completely diluted before you mix with the proper amount of sugar .... This one CZcamsr did a Blind Test where he set out samples of everything from pure Sugar Water and a 1 to 1 liquid mix all the way to a 10 to 1 liquid mix .... RESULTS WERE : They loved the 1 to 1 mix just as good as the pure sugar liquid ...Then not as much each sub sequence mix ... The 10 to 1 Liquid mix went untouched , So the more Borax in it they did indeed detect it .... After more testing he found out a 5 to 1 mix would eliminate a kitchen Ant Colony in One Day ...A 3 to 1 mix eliminated whole Colony too but took a little longer but was more swarmed by them ...His findings WERE : 5 to 1 seemed to be his magic number & seemed to be the most effective ...
I have not tried that. Vinegar is acetic acid and the orange oil is citric acid. I know what vinegar does to weeds and I would not want to get that near my plants. The orange oil has had zero negative effect on my vegetable plants. I would try the vinegar/oil combination outside of the garden.
Just orders some from your link on amazon. We just started growing chickens, 4 months ago. Waiting for the 1st egs. They do eat some of them, but not enough, so I will be try this method. I assume that after the ants die, the chickens will have a feast. This should be safe for the chickens right?
I have not noticed any change of pH from using this. IIt is essentially a spot treatment on a mound so that specific area may be effected for a short period of time.
Thank you :( i have been in hospital many times bcause,of them ! Waking up in icu is not funny . Şo thanks thay are so gone .You saved my life! :) luann.
For it to be truly effective, you need to add soap, Dawn works best. Per Texas A & M entomology research. It’s the limonene and soap in the oil that kills them. But in truth, there isn’t enough soap in the oil, it needs a boost. But this is very effective!
Santiago S Just a cheap dish soap. The study specifically used Dawn. I wouldn’t try using anything else, mixing compounds (organic or inorganic) without knowing the chemistry behind it can be dangerous.
@Bugz Murphy Hey Bugz. Not sure what part of the south that your in, but I've lived in multiple parts of the south, thru Texas, Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, and the list goes on. Back in the early 70's, when I was around 9 years old, outside of San Antonio, TX, was when I got my first healthy dose of these freaks of nature. I was playing in an old over grown field, with shorts and flip flops on. In the tall grass, I came across a very large dirt mound that I tripped over. Being a kid, I went to kick it down, so I wouldn't trip again. Needless to say, I only kicked it once. In a flash, I was covered from the thighs down, with these little bitting/stinging demons. I must have looked like something out of a cartoon. I've never slapped myself so many times, so fast in all my life. First, the little fire blisters appeared, then, once the blisters broke, the little knob of dead flesh is exposed. Then the extreme itching, that lasts for weeks, starts. I'd rather go threw chicken pox again, and I had those everywhere, except the palms of my hands, at age 30. At least they where gone in about 2 weeks. We used amdro around the perimeter of the property, and then spot treated the hills to basically get them to move off property. I knew a guy, when I was older, in Louisiana, that had a pretty good plan that kept all ants, even fire ants, away from his garden and home. The only trick is, you know how fast these little bastards are, so you have to plan this out a little first and move fairly quick. Every fire ant hill is its own colony, giving off its own unique hormonal marker, made by the queen. They are not neighborly. They will attack and kill invading colonies. Now here's the tricky part. Please, do this quickly! Choose a hill that you want to treat. Find a different colony that is away from the area that you want clear of ants. Take a pitch fork or shovel and break down the hill that you want to treat, really piss them off! Next, go to second colony, take a big shovel full right out of the center, where the ants are thickest. Then run like hell to the treatment hill and dump the now pissed off invaders on top of that hill. DROP THAT SHOVEL OR BANG IT AGAINST SOMETHING!!! You've just created a major ant war! The invaders will naturally want to work their way down into the hill and kill all the eggs and Queen that they come across. If you have a really huge colony, you may have to do this more than once per hill. But it will blow your mind how fast their numbers go down doing it this way, and your just using nature to fight nature. ;-) I've seen huge hills, completely dead, not just moved, in just a matter of days. Let me know how it works for you. My email is natureboy82064@gmail.com
Yes, I found you! Orange oil worked, like you said! Thanks! Ant Coatings is exoskeleton! Very through video! Thumbs up and subscribed! Do you have a donation link?
Unfortunately that would not work well. Spraying will just kill a few ants on the surface. You have to drench the mounds and get the liquid deep down inside to kill the queen.
What do you mix ORANGE OIL WITH. What is the mixture content.Orange Oil and how much water? The ratio of oil and water.Thanks and look for ward for your response.
It is just the oil and water. 1oz of orange oil per gallon of water. Add the oil into a bucket first and then spray the water forcefully into the oil to emulsify it.
To use the boric acid method mix very little of the acid only about a tsp. with syrup with 3-4 tbls. i suggest you use a small container with finishing nail holes in the lid you'll have a much better result place them at the back of sink cabinets and under washers for home treatments.
My orange oil treatment is used for large mound infestations outdoors. I would try the boric acid for an indoor application. I do use boric acid for roach control and it works wonderfully.
Good video. If you look, you can find pure orange oil in 32 oz. size available through Home Depot, although it may have to be ordered. Their price is $32, so slightly higher.
I’ve not tried on insects yet , this pure cold pressed orange 🍊 oil works on smelly drains and cleans inside house very well. 🤫😱use sparingly it appears watery , isn’t.👍
What do you look for that would insure orange oil is 100% pure? Amazon has 2 brands Green Gobbler and Vine Homecare. Both came up when I accessed your Amazon site, but it's been 5 years, sooo....
Thanks for the comment Johnny. We put an Amazon link in the description below. As a Canadian, you may be able to shop on the American Amazon site. The only place I have found orange oil is online.
I have a few questions. Can I use this on an ant infested compost pile. One that is not done and will sit about 2 months before being utilized. Do you think the ants are sent to The Lake Of Fire, for eternity? I hope so.
I feel the same way about those ants. Yes, you can use it in the compost pile with no problem. I have ants there too. They do help to break things down in the pile but are annoying. That lake doesn’t burn for eternity but the result of being thrown into it is eternal.
I buy some stuff in a bag at Home Depot and it kills them all in seconds! Just pour a decent amount on the mound and then pour water over it. It is fairly cheap to buy and works awesome!
@@CountryLivingExperience BTW how much longer do we have. You THINK you are buying organic well guess what, it probable isn't. I am in the supplement business now for 12 years, I know the deal. Not sure how old your kids are but what chance they have anyway? The earth is quickly dieing! I just hope I live to see the end so the last thing I realize before I die is that there is no more suffering to decent people and poor innocent animals.
Honestly, we don't have long. How do I know that? I am a Christian who studies the Bible. It is clear to me through intense studying that we are in the last days. The Word of God is clear. And you are correct, there will be no more suffering as it has been promised to us that those things will pass away.
@@CountryLivingExperience I just hope I am alive to see the "end"! The last thing I will know is that all this bullshit has ended! In the mean time I just live every day to the fullest I can.
I just found an fire ant hill by standing on it. No, I did not know it was an hill--lol. Of course I got bitten. HURT with lots of pain!! I will be getting this product ASAP! Thanks for the information.
It really depends on the size of the mound and the amount you put on. I use a few gallons on a large mound. It is all about getting enough down inside to kill the queen. Hope this helps
@@CountryLivingExperience Great, thank you! Just ordered the orange oil through your Amazon. I have several small ant mounds in my garden (not only fire ants) and hopefully it will get rid of all them.
I just looked it up. It looks promising but it may be cut with other chemicals. I wonder what the strength of it is or the content of actual pure oil. Try it. If it works, then great.
We have nasty fire ants in Hawaii. I don't have them on the property we just bought, but can I use this method as a preventive measure for the mulches and soils we bring from outside? Do you think it works in Hawaii as well? Thank you for sharing your findings.
This will work anywhere so it absolutely will work in Hawaii. As a preventative, it may be too expensive. Although, there is a spray called Orange Guard that is good to spray around the foundation of your house to deter any from getting inside. The method I show is really just for killing mounds and spot treatment.
Would this work on other insects? My husband is currently battling spider mites in the garden (central Florida). Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
There is a mechanical method that works, except for sister mounds. All you need is a shovel and a bucket and two (2) unrelated mounds). Take a shovel full of mound one and place in bucket. Grab bucket and shovel, go to mound two, dig out shovel full of mound two, set aside. Dump bucket of ants 1 into mound two. Dump shovel 2 of ants into bucket, return to mound 1 and dump ants 2 in. Watch the bloodsport. It helps to tap the bucket on the ground to keep ants in. There should be a pile of dead ants outside each mound. Repeat as needed. If no dead ants, try mound 3.
Hello 👋, can you please send me a link where I can get the orange oil. Also I have a question Can I use the orange oil on my grass where my dogs laid down and play? Thank you so much
A question for you about this, how long will it last, another words will the or another nest come back at the same spot or do you know? Also, will it kill termites or not that you know of? I take it the rain washes it away? Sorry for the apparent stupid questions.
No worries, there are no bad questions. If you get enough of the oil down into the nest and kill the queen then the nest will be dead. They usually don’t come back to the same area. If some are left alive, they will go far away to make another nest. Yes, this is a great termite killer.
I have had success with borax and sugar mix in the past but you need to keep it dry or it doesn't get picked up by the ants. I do live in the desert so it does stay drying longer here but if you have a dry weather it should work.
@@CountryLivingExperience I have watched an Australian bloke make a video where he dissolved two plastic spoons worth of borax in a boiling cup of water and a squirt of honey and leave caps full of it near ants and it seemed to work and he lived in a humid environment. My dad wrote a few of Borax mining manuals and would bring 5 gallon buckets of the stuff back in the 70's. We had an old craftsman two story house and my folks would rent rooms out for extra money and guess what? one of them had brought roaches with them and they took over the house quickly... till my dad took the borax and spread it throughout the house at the company's recommended. Worked almost as fast. I have used it ever since as a prevention measure. But trust me I will be using your cold pressed orange oil method, so thank you for that idea!
Thanks for the info about the orange oil I will order some if i can find itbin your link, just one question you said it kills worms so how is it good to use in the garden, I don't want to kill the worms.
You're welcome. The link should be down in the video description. Yes, it will kill worms but only those close to the ant mound. Mounds aren't that big so in the grand scheme of things, few worms will die and only in the area under the mound.
I don't know if it works with fire ants but you can take a shovel and remove the top ant hill and place it on top of another ant hill and they will fight to the death every last one. Give it a try?
Thank you so much for the information on to kill these fire ants I have them in my back yard and afraid my dog might hit the mound can't let her out they are bad thank you for letting me know about the orange oil I will try some this was very helpful DON
GOD BLESS YOU!! Fire Ants are no joke! They tear us up! They even came into our home one year! That was a first and thank God they didn’t come back! Our yard is are up with them! Now it’s time for them to be gone! Thank you so much!! Hod bless you and yours!!
I am sure they will get it back in stock soon. The other chemical is call Bifen IT. It is very effective but I don't recommend using it near children or vegetable gardens.
I tried this and was amazed how well it worked. Literally only one ounce of orange oil to a gallon milk jug full of water is all it takes to kill ants and it won't poison my dogs. Next day, I would say approximately 98% of ants (just a few stragglers) were gone in the areas I treated. GOOD STUFF!
It will work in a pump sprayer. Using it on ants with a sprayer won't work however. You need a large volume of the solution to quickly drain down into the ant mound to kill them.
Is there anywhere else you can buy the orange oil besides on line. Lowes or Home Depot? Thank you so much for sharing this. We have them all over our back yard!!!
How long does it last? Is it effective on one mound or does it keep that area ant free? I have tried lots of ant poisons from bayer, ortho etc... but they find there way back to my yard. I had just planted 2 small cypress pine trees and after spraying bayer poison, the darn poison turned them brown and or killed my trees, but I still have ants. Frustrating to say the least. Anyway, I ask because doesnt the chemical stay in the ground for a few months so they dont come back?
I am not sure where you live but here in Texas it is impossible to totally get rid of fire ants. That being said, this orange oil does sit in the soil for a while. I have never seen a mound come back to the exact same area that I treat. It is very effective and it will not harm your plants, pets, or kids. That is why I use it. I do not think you will totally get rid of your ant problem.
Does it hurt birds that eat those worms? I don't want to hurt my Robin's and fish and frogs in my pond. I have a red fire ant nightmare in my backyard. Multiple mounds everywhere....
Lol , I think you’re advice is Great ! I’m Lol Because I live in S Louisiana where we have a major problem with fire Ants , I mean the real nasty big and attacking kind and I have been losing the battle with them in my yard for years and now when I’m downsizing to a apartment I run across your video, but I will make sure to share with my kids for their yards , thanks I really enjoyed your presentation.
@@tamirplatzmann8125 I think you have a lot of citrus in Israel. They should have it there somewhere. The cold pressed is going to way more cost effective too.
What if you cant find the mound? I have them on my plants and when I prune my trees they fall on me and my son🥺 been trying to find a safe method for my garden and my kids
Are they fire ants in the trees? We usually only get black ants in our trees. Try soaking the ground with the solution around the base of the tree and trying to follow or trace them back to their mound.
It should not hurt the dog if diluted properly. It probably would kill fleas but I have never tested it. I would recommend you get your dog to the Vet for some good meds. I have had way too many problems with fleas on my property and have never had a non-prescription method work.
Thank you for the facts. I just bought 5 acres and trying to turn out a nice big garden but have ran into the little devils everywhere so I watched a couple videos relating to this, went to Wal-Mart because I wanted to get started immediately, couldn't find pure orange oil so I bought the closest thing I could find... "Pledge" LOL, with that ingredient in it thinking it might work. Needless to say I still have the problem and now I probably just added chemicals into the ground which I was trying to avoid in the first place. Other videos didn't clarify that you must use the actual pure orange oil and not something that just has a small part of that ingredient. Thank you! Anybody know of a store that you could purchase it at instead of ordering online??
Hi Lindsey. We put a link in the description for the product. Here it is again: amzn.to/2V9iBOW I would skip the Pledge as it has too many other chemicals and way too little orange oil. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching.
We also found this new pure orange oil on amazon..... amzn.to/2UKkxxY We have not used this particular brand but it is 100% pure so should work perfectly.
take a shovel full of ants from 2 different mounds and put each shovel load onto the other mound, within 3 days they will each kill each other and each others queens, this works on all ants, they tend to be really territorial
We have little fire ants here in Hawaii that live in trees. They're small, and can barely be seen, however they have a serious sting. They've been trying to eradicate them for years. Wonder if it would work on them?
Thanks, I was already planning to try the orange oil and appreciate all the tips on use. Talking with people over the years, I've been amazed at the ineffective methods that folks swear by. In my area a favorite one (absolutely does not work) is grits. A former employer ordered me to apply dry grits on a 50 acre property to "kill" fire ants. When he asked about the result I told him, "The ants said, 'next time cook them please, they taste better that way'". He didn't seem amused.
Lol grits. Yea, there are a ton of crazy remedies out there. The orange oil works really well. I still use poison when it is away from my garden and kids but always the orange oil in their presence. You can find the Amazon link for a good brand in the description. Good luck with those ants.
easy just use melted molten
you didn't use enough
It was supposed to be grits mixed with boric acid to get them to take it down. Half measures.
cant be gmo grits and most corn is gmo, ants KNOW the difference and won't eat it ... unlike people
I've been trying out the orange oil mixture on some established fire ant mounds on our property. It does work. One tip I would give is to be prepared to use a LOT of it. Drenching a large mound effectively can take 3-4 gallons, which can become more challenging if you're some distance from a water source.
Very cool. Thanks.
@@CountryLivingExperience Do you have the recipe ? I am also fighting them, and am allergic. I don't want them near my family and this spring they set up their camps near my house. I've already been stung by a handful on my ankle while hanging up Laundry. Thank you. 💐
@@eleanorerosanova7538 I usually do 2oz of orange oil per gallon of water.
@@CountryLivingExperienceI’m buying the cold pressed orange oil. I have two fur babies and nieces/nephews who are always over. Have tried everything to get rid of those pets of Lucifer’s.
Orange oil is chemically "D-Limonene." I use it straight undiluted to prevent Termite infestation about $450.00 per 55 gallon drum.. Saturate the ground around the foundation. If you have a crawl space saturate both sides inside and outside. It is a non-toxic termite treatment. I apply around my buildings once per year. My house was built in 1890 and I expect it to last for another 130 years.
I also use it for the same.
Needed this info thanks‼️‼️
Where do you get that amount of orange oil
I'll have to try this! I have a little over a quarter-acre garden area that is overrun by fire ants. Not to mention the ones in the remaining 2-acres of my home. I've tried everything! Just got a lot of free mulch that I can't even spread due to these pests.
It is great for the garden near your veggies and kids if you have any. I use a more harsh poison on other parts of my property that are far from my edibles. They are such a terrible invasive species and need to be destroyed any way possible.
Great video. Just a point however. Orange oil IS a mixture of chemicals. They might be natural or bio-chemicals (made by a living organism) but they are still chemicals. The active ingredient in orange peel oil (as with most citrus fruits) is probably D-limonene. The "D" indicates which direction a solution of the chemical rotates light but that is a minor point. The main point is D-limonene is terpenoid and while generally recognized as safe (GRAS) it does have some toxicity to humans if used in an improper manner. D-limonene was once considered to be a carcinognen because it increased the incidence of renal tumors in male rats (but not female). Additional studies have put those results into perspective and today most toxicological evidence suggest that d-limonene does NOT present a mutagenic or carcinogenic risk and is not toxic to human kidneys if used as recommended. However is can be a "sensitizer"to some individuals. It has some volatility and can cause eye and skin irritation and has been known to cause some respiratory distress when chemical is inhaled by certain sensitive individuals. I believe the product you can buy as "pure" orange oil is about 90% d--limonene? Because of of its toxic properties to insects d-limonene is used in many commercial pesticides actually.
Exactly. Also a week or so after applying it can go rancid if it’s hot and make your life smell like rotten oranges 🤬
I work at a factory of orange juice. We extract d-limonene from the peels. Its a quimical strong solvent. In the leaves burns and kill the plant. I dont kill ants. I feed them whith oranges roth cut in peaces. This is bad for them also, and expose them to theirs enemies, like birds.
Thank you it was my thought too. Orange oil was used in the printing industry because it was a brilliant degreaser and ink cleaner but was found to be carcinogenic.
I will have to look that up and get some I am deathly allergic to ant bites. I just had my fifth and worst episode of anaphylactic shock. I need something to take care of ants! Thank you so much for this heads up
Glad we could help
Fire ants don't eat sweet, they do eat meat. A can of potted meat with a tablespoon of boric acid mixed into it turned over on the hill will be emptyed overnight. Sometimes the amount of acid will need to be reduced for them to take the bait. I usually keep a blender just for garden use and blend grasshoppers and crickets with boric acid for meat eating ants.
When I lived in the Texas Hill Country the fire ants were pretty bad. Orange oil does work just as you describe; however, so does paint thinner, which is significantly less expensive. Same ratio. I used a little dish soap in the mix so the water and oil would mix well and drain down into the mound. I also found that a day or two later, a satellite mound would appear. I suspect it was there all the time, but did not make itself known until the first mound was gone. I also tried it with a product called Super Clean, which is an engine degreaser found at auto parts stores.
Paint thinner would work similarly well, you are correct. I would never put it near my vegetable garden though. That is why I use the orange oil.
I found a fire ant mound that resembled a small volcano. Looking around, I found about 20 more mounds in the same area! I bought some ant killer from Lowe's, Ortho I think, a white powder you sprinkle on top of the mound. I applied it to all the hills and a day later all were dead. Of course these hills were nowhere near my small garden.
Those mounds sure do get big. Most poisons work well and I do use them away from my kids and garden. This video is about the best organic way to kill them.
Acephate is the active ingredient in that it does work but keep that away from your garden
Wow, never heard of this till now. We have ant hills in the orchard and they are horrible and nothing else has worked yet. I will have to try this, thanks.
You're welcome.
Couple of things you can research. Diatomaceous Earth, and Permethrin. The first one is at pool supply stores. Cheap. The 2nd one I use at a 0.5% solution and spray on the mound with a hand sprayer. Both are cheap to use. Permethrin is made from an extract from the Chrysanthemum flower. Both are non toxic to animals.
Thank you but Why? I gave a solution in the video that works extremely well and is safe and organic. I was not asking for solutions.
Permethrin is a synthetic chemical. "Permethrin is an insecticide in the pyrethroid family. Pyrethroids are synthetic chemicals that act like natural extracts from the chrysanthemum flower." - National Pesticide Information Center. While it is approved by the EPA and is contained in many products, I do not trust it near my children or organic garden. DE works somewhat but is extremely slow and will not kill the queen unless she ventures up to the surface where spread. This renders it almost useless.
I don't want to be rude and I am thankful for advice.
I have used Diatomaceous earth. I have never seen it kill anything! At this point I believe its just another urban myth. To each his own I guess.
@@johnmal5975 works only on critters that have exoskeletons. That includes lice and mites that get on feathered creatures. I’ve used it for 20 years in my PM houses.
Permethrin is deadly to cats
This would probably only work on fire ants as their strategy for flooding is to evacuate the nest to the surface and make a raft out of their bodies, something that helps them survive in the Amazon. That'll bring them into contact with your mixture. Most other ants have flood defenses like chambers that hold large air bubbles so they can stay dry when heavy rain falls. Maybe for different species, a different solution is needed.
I'm glad there's nothing like those over here though. :)
It does work well on fire ants. For the ants who are not killed, they move far away because of the scent. I have never had a mound in the same area after a treatment.
You can try Diatomaceous Earth!
@@djrickmendez255 DE works as a deterrent but as soon as it rains its washed away or cakes up and is useless. They also don't eat it or bring it to the queen, so the mound is not destroyed. I use DE in a tray that I put my cat food dishes in, and it works perfect for keeping ants out of their food, but it doesn't work for killing the ants at their source.
Borax with sugar sprinkled on he mounds worked but only as long as it stays dry. I’ll have to try the orange oil
I tried the borax and sugar. It didn’t work for me. Orange oil has been my go to for 5 years now and has never failed me.
@@CountryLivingExperience I tried borax also, with the same result. Fire ants aren't interested. Today, I found out that there are "protein" loving ants (perhaps fire ants?), and "sugar" loving ants (perhaps the other more common non fire ant types?) It was suggested to add gelatin and the borax. I don't know, but I'm going to give it a try since water, gelatin and borax aren't poisonous to soil or plants.
de can also be used to dust your vegetables for insects.
Would have liked to see you dig in the mound a few days later and see how effective it really was. I am not convinced you really did any damage to the mound. How about a follow up video that is a little bit more conclusive. Thanks
I can and may do a follow up video. I am not a liar though. It kills them as well as a synthetic chemical.
Johnathon, sorry for any misunderstand, I would never imply you are a liar. It's hard to see how it can work when they dig so deep. I have watched another video, he just applied pretty much the same thing with a sprayer. He checked the mound a few days later and it was annihilated. Sooo, you are definitely on to a good way to be rid of them. I will try it. Thanks for your video.
No worries. Thank you for the follow up comment. Each mound is different for sure. You need to soak it enough to get down and kill the queen. The bigger the mound, the more liquid. That is the case with any synthetic poison as well. The orange oil is so amazing because it does not harm my organic garden and I feel 100% confident with it around my kids and animals.
@@Rob6648 What video is that? I am not convinced that just spraying with dilute, or concentrated, orange oil will kill the entire mound. I've got an ongoing problem with fire ants and I am suspecting they are just moving from one place to another depending on where I spray them. I'm curious about that video if you've got the link please?
Hum Rod I knew someone who had his whole backyard exterminated and he was never troubled again but the company probably used chemicals but maybe do the whole yard with orange oil? What about diamateous earth?
Would I be able to plant seedlings immediately (one day or two) at those spots after I applied the orange oil?
Should not be a problem but I have not tried it. I pour it on mounds near my vegetable plants and it does not affect them. I have also sprayed it on mixed with soap on leaves with no issues.
No. This is a chemical. It will change the pH of your soil and destroy vegetation.
I absolutely love orange oil, I order it by the gallons to not only use as bug spray but to make our own spray cleaners for home use. In regards to the garden, I would also put some Castile soap but, I was watching a video about some folks using bay shampoo as it does not kill bacteria, which is what you want when spraying plants and the soil. The Equate baby shampoo brand is very cheap, in case you don’t have Castile soap around. Question: Did it ever burned the grass with this ratio of orange oil?
Thanks for the video!!!
You’re welcome. Orange oil is certainly one of the best products. Mine has never burned the grass.
@@CountryLivingExperience Thanks for replying back, God bless!!!
There is probably a comment in here with the same suggestion I am about to make but don't really have the time this morning to read them all. Sorry if it's a duplicate.
What I finally found that I could use on my property (garden included) is dish washing soap. If you do this VERY early in the morning or VERY late in the evening while the ants are all in their mound it will be best.
I mix the dish washing liquid with water...and I mix it really strong.
Then take a long piece of rebar--3/8" works well since it is not too big. About 4' long at least. Stick about 6 holes really deeply into the mound.
Then slowly pour your bucket of solution into the holes...I usually make about a 2 gallon dose.
Hopefully that kills the queen and many of the rest of the crew living there. Jesus bless.
I have done that as well. I will also mix the orange oil with soap sometimes. I like the rebar idea!
That is great to know, thanks for sharing your findings.
A great bonus is that it is cheaper than the harsh poisonous insecticides.
Very informative and thanks for the link! Going to use it today and will let you know.
You’re welcome
great video. thanks brother, will try it.
Works wonders for us. Good luck with those evil ants.
Thank you for sharing! I have had cancer twice and love to use something that is non toxic.
You're very welcome. Glad you are on the road to recovery.
Just stumbled across your page on another topic and then saw this video. Thanks for the tip and i am now subscribed. It will be interesting to see all your advice.
Thank you. Welcome to the channel.
I have just made an organic raised veggie bed 4' tall x 8' I live in Houston and well aware of fire ants. Will they invade my garden on the inside? Will regular fire ant killer affect my garden if I find them on the outside of my bed? I'm so glad I stumbled across your CZcams channel. Thank you.
Thank you. It should not affect anything negatively if you use it around the base of your raised beds. We used to live in Houston. I know your pain ;-)
The Borax works.... if you boil your water first.... to dissolve the Borax....and use peanut butter...They like the protein. And will then take it back into their nest. This works in Hawaii anyway
I attempted the borax and sugar method a few times with no success. Maybe I will give the peanut butter a shot.
@@CountryLivingExperience Good job on the Fire Ants ...👏👏👏
But I do believe He was right , Borax ( Boric Acid ) Does work , you're just not using it right ... For 1 , you have some ants that are more finicky than others & just won't take the bait ...That's because you must've used too much Borax with your sugar...... Also , take your Bor x & put it in a blender with some boiling water to get the Borax properly completely diluted before you mix with the proper amount of sugar .... This one CZcamsr did a Blind Test where he set out samples of everything from pure Sugar Water and a 1 to 1 liquid mix all the way to a 10 to 1 liquid mix .... RESULTS WERE : They loved the 1 to 1 mix just as good as the pure sugar liquid ...Then not as much each sub sequence mix ... The 10 to 1 Liquid mix went untouched , So the more Borax in it they did indeed detect it .... After more testing he found out a 5 to 1 mix would eliminate a kitchen Ant Colony in One Day ...A 3 to 1 mix eliminated whole Colony too but took a little longer but was more swarmed by them ...His findings WERE : 5 to 1 seemed to be his magic number & seemed to be the most effective ...
Have you tried vinegar and vegetable oil? Seems like it would work as well. An acid with a binder to stick to the ants.
I have not tried that. Vinegar is acetic acid and the orange oil is citric acid. I know what vinegar does to weeds and I would not want to get that near my plants. The orange oil has had zero negative effect on my vegetable plants. I would try the vinegar/oil combination outside of the garden.
Vinegar did not work, neither did Ortho for fire ants..just got the orange oil & running to the dollar store for Dawn.🙏🏾
Just orders some from your link on amazon. We just started growing chickens, 4 months ago. Waiting for the 1st egs. They do eat some of them, but not enough, so I will be try this method. I assume that after the ants die, the chickens will have a feast. This should be safe for the chickens right?
Absolutely safe for the chickens. It is just a natural cold pressed oil. If anything, it will give them some vitamin C. Lol
With the orange oil does it significantly affect soil pH? Should I treat with wood ash after for neutral/basic loving plants?
I have not noticed any change of pH from using this. IIt is essentially a spot treatment on a mound so that specific area may be effected for a short period of time.
Is the orange oil any threat to dogs or cats?
Nope. No threat at all.
Can you use the mixture in a 1 gallon sprayer? Or, is it best to dump it on?
It is best to dump it on in parts. 1/4 gallon at a time. So it can really rush down in the tunnels and get to the bottom of the mound.
I'm in with this got to do this now! It's spring time in East Texas and I'm gonna spray my yard to just keep them out!
I hear that.
Thank you :( i have been in hospital many times bcause,of them ! Waking up in icu is not funny . Şo thanks thay are so gone .You saved my life! :) luann.
Glad the video was helpful.
For it to be truly effective, you need to add soap, Dawn works best. Per Texas A & M entomology research. It’s the limonene and soap in the oil that kills them. But in truth, there isn’t enough soap in the oil, it needs a boost.
But this is very effective!
any soap? can I use one made from potassium hydroxide?
Santiago S Just a cheap dish soap. The study specifically used Dawn. I wouldn’t try using anything else, mixing compounds (organic or inorganic) without knowing the chemistry behind it can be dangerous.
@Bugz Murphy Amdro
@Bugz Murphy Hey Bugz. Not sure what part of the south that your in, but I've lived in multiple parts of the south, thru Texas, Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, and the list goes on. Back in the early 70's, when I was around 9 years old, outside of San Antonio, TX, was when I got my first healthy dose of these freaks of nature. I was playing in an old over grown field, with shorts and flip flops on. In the tall grass, I came across a very large dirt mound that I tripped over. Being a kid, I went to kick it down, so I wouldn't trip again. Needless to say, I only kicked it once. In a flash, I was covered from the thighs down, with these little bitting/stinging demons. I must have looked like something out of a cartoon. I've never slapped myself so many times, so fast in all my life. First, the little fire blisters appeared, then, once the blisters broke, the little knob of dead flesh is exposed. Then the extreme itching, that lasts for weeks, starts. I'd rather go threw chicken pox again, and I had those everywhere, except the palms of my hands, at age 30. At least they where gone in about 2 weeks. We used amdro around the perimeter of the property, and then spot treated the hills to basically get them to move off property. I knew a guy, when I was older, in Louisiana, that had a pretty good plan that kept all ants, even fire ants, away from his garden and home. The only trick is, you know how fast these little bastards are, so you have to plan this out a little first and move fairly quick. Every fire ant hill is its own colony, giving off its own unique hormonal marker, made by the queen. They are not neighborly. They will attack and kill invading colonies. Now here's the tricky part. Please, do this quickly! Choose a hill that you want to treat. Find a different colony that is away from the area that you want clear of ants. Take a pitch fork or shovel and break down the hill that you want to treat, really piss them off! Next, go to second colony, take a big shovel full right out of the center, where the ants are thickest. Then run like hell to the treatment hill and dump the now pissed off invaders on top of that hill. DROP THAT SHOVEL OR BANG IT AGAINST SOMETHING!!! You've just created a major ant war! The invaders will naturally want to work their way down into the hill and kill all the eggs and Queen that they come across. If you have a really huge colony, you may have to do this more than once per hill. But it will blow your mind how fast their numbers go down doing it this way, and your just using nature to fight nature. ;-) I've seen huge hills, completely dead, not just moved, in just a matter of days. Let me know how it works for you. My email is natureboy82064@gmail.com
@@natureboy6410 that was an outstanding story !!!!
Can I use this around my plants and will it kill the roots of my plants ?
Hello. No problem for plant roots at the concentration I mixed it at. I have never had an issue.
Yes, I found you! Orange oil worked, like you said! Thanks! Ant Coatings is exoskeleton! Very through video! Thumbs up and subscribed! Do you have a donation link?
Thank you. Glad it worked. You can donate through our paypal @ countrylivingexpericence@gmail.com
I’m accepting donations !
I have large mounds and there a plethora of small mounds all over my yard. Can I put the mixture in a sprayer?
Unfortunately that would not work well. Spraying will just kill a few ants on the surface. You have to drench the mounds and get the liquid deep down inside to kill the queen.
Country Living Experience: A Homesteading Journey Point morning
What do you mix ORANGE OIL WITH. What is the mixture content.Orange Oil and how much water? The ratio of oil and water.Thanks and look for ward for your response.
It is just the oil and water. 1oz of orange oil per gallon of water. Add the oil into a bucket first and then spray the water forcefully into the oil to emulsify it.
To use the boric acid method mix very little of the acid only about a tsp. with syrup with 3-4 tbls. i suggest you use a small container with finishing nail holes in the lid you'll have a much better result place them at the back of sink cabinets and under washers for home treatments.
My orange oil treatment is used for large mound infestations outdoors. I would try the boric acid for an indoor application. I do use boric acid for roach control and it works wonderfully.
1/2 dowel rod poke several holes into mound to bottom, 5 gal of soapy water.
Good video. If you look, you can find pure orange oil in 32 oz. size available through Home Depot, although it may have to be ordered. Their price is $32, so slightly higher.
Thank you. It is only $24 on Amazon through the link we provided.
I’ve not tried on insects yet , this pure cold pressed orange 🍊 oil works on smelly drains and cleans inside house very well. 🤫😱use sparingly it appears watery , isn’t.👍
It is very concentrated for sure. We use 1oz per 1 gallon to 1.5 gallons.
"pour it out slowly" empties entire bucket in 10 seconds
More like over 20 seconds but ok
All drenching methods work better if applied when ground is wet after a rain .
Good stuff - thanks for the tip!
You're welcome.
What is the ratio? I mean how much water and how much oil to use? Thanks
2 ounces per 1 gallon
What do you look for that would insure orange oil is 100% pure? Amazon has 2 brands Green Gobbler and Vine Homecare. Both came up when I accessed your Amazon site, but it's been 5 years, sooo....
The Green Gobbler is good and I also use the Medina brand. Amazon used to carry that as well.
you are the best,,where may i pick up this orange oil!!!i am from canada johnny
Thanks for the comment Johnny. We put an Amazon link in the description below. As a Canadian, you may be able to shop on the American Amazon site. The only place I have found orange oil is online.
I have a few questions.
Can I use this on an ant infested compost pile. One that is not done and will sit about 2 months before being utilized.
Do you think the ants are sent to The Lake Of Fire, for eternity?
I hope so.
I feel the same way about those ants. Yes, you can use it in the compost pile with no problem. I have ants there too. They do help to break things down in the pile but are annoying. That lake doesn’t burn for eternity but the result of being thrown into it is eternal.
I buy some stuff in a bag at Home Depot and it kills them all in seconds! Just pour a decent amount on the mound and then pour water over it. It is fairly cheap to buy and works awesome!
That home depot stuff is a harsh chemical and decidedly not organic. I cannot allow it near my vegetables or kids which is why I made this video.
@@CountryLivingExperience BTW how much longer do we have. You THINK you are buying organic well guess what, it probable isn't. I am in the supplement business now for 12 years, I know the deal. Not sure how old your kids are but what chance they have anyway? The earth is quickly dieing! I just hope I live to see the end so the last thing I realize before I die is that there is no more suffering to decent people and poor innocent animals.
I hear ya. Totally understand.
Honestly, we don't have long. How do I know that? I am a Christian who studies the Bible. It is clear to me through intense studying that we are in the last days. The Word of God is clear. And you are correct, there will be no more suffering as it has been promised to us that those things will pass away.
@@CountryLivingExperience I just hope I am alive to see the "end"! The last thing I will know is that all this bullshit has ended! In the mean time I just live every day to the fullest I can.
I just found an fire ant hill by standing on it. No, I did not know it was an hill--lol. Of course I got bitten. HURT with lots of pain!! I will be getting this product ASAP! Thanks for the information.
Glad our video was helpful. Stepping on them is always the worst way to find them. My daughter has done that numerous times.
How many times do you have to do this?
It really depends on the size of the mound and the amount you put on. I use a few gallons on a large mound. It is all about getting enough down inside to kill the queen. Hope this helps
ty fire ants horrible in south ga here got bitten today planting butter beans jusy ordered the orange oil ty so much
They are horrible for sure.
thank u! i have fire ants in my yard in northern MI! how did they get here?
They have gone all over the US now. They are horrible. I grew up in MI. What town are you from?
Mostly spread in larger potted plants.
so maybe I got them from plants and shrubs I bought at nurseries
I have a big fire ant mound under my maple sapling. Will this work safely without hurting my tree?
Yes, absolutely. I use it around my vegetables in the garden.
Does it work on other types of ants, as well? Thanks for the video!
You're welcome.
Yes it does. It works on most insects, hard bodied or soft.
@@CountryLivingExperience Great, thank you! Just ordered the orange oil through your Amazon. I have several small ant mounds in my garden (not only fire ants) and hopefully it will get rid of all them.
Does lemon oil work the same as orange oil?
It should work the same if you can find it. I have never seen it sold before.
@@CountryLivingExperience it's Weiman brand.
I just looked it up. It looks promising but it may be cut with other chemicals. I wonder what the strength of it is or the content of actual pure oil. Try it. If it works, then great.
We have nasty fire ants in Hawaii. I don't have them on the property we just bought, but can I use this method as a preventive measure for the mulches and soils we bring from outside? Do you think it works in Hawaii as well? Thank you for sharing your findings.
This will work anywhere so it absolutely will work in Hawaii. As a preventative, it may be too expensive. Although, there is a spray called Orange Guard that is good to spray around the foundation of your house to deter any from getting inside. The method I show is really just for killing mounds and spot treatment.
Would this work on other insects? My husband is currently battling spider mites in the garden (central Florida). Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Yes, absolutely. I use it to combat thrips in my garden.
They did not look like they were writhing in pain??
Trust me they were.
Thanks for the tip!
You're welcome!
There is a mechanical method that works, except for sister mounds. All you need is a shovel and a bucket and two (2) unrelated mounds). Take a shovel full of mound one and place in bucket. Grab bucket and shovel, go to mound two, dig out shovel full of mound two, set aside. Dump bucket of ants 1 into mound two. Dump shovel 2 of ants into bucket, return to mound 1 and dump ants 2 in. Watch the bloodsport. It helps to tap the bucket on the ground to keep ants in. There should be a pile of dead ants outside each mound. Repeat as needed. If no dead ants, try mound 3.
I tried that numerous times. It never worked for me.
Hello 👋, can you please send me a link where I can get the orange oil. Also I have a question Can I use the orange oil on my grass where my dogs laid down and play? Thank you so much
Hi. Here is the link: Orange Oil: amzn.to/2Hth24K
Yes, you can use the orange oil around animals and kids with no problem.
A question for you about this, how long will it last, another words will the or another nest come back at the same spot or do you know? Also, will it kill termites or not that you know of? I take it the rain washes it away? Sorry for the apparent stupid questions.
No worries, there are no bad questions. If you get enough of the oil down into the nest and kill the queen then the nest will be dead. They usually don’t come back to the same area. If some are left alive, they will go far away to make another nest. Yes, this is a great termite killer.
I have had success with borax and sugar mix in the past but you need to keep it dry or it doesn't get picked up by the ants. I do live in the desert so it does stay drying longer here but if you have a dry weather it should work.
Yea, I tried that one. It never worked for me. The ant mounds are the size of cars here and it is humid and wet.
@@CountryLivingExperience I have watched an Australian bloke make a video where he dissolved two plastic spoons worth of borax in a boiling cup of water and a squirt of honey and leave caps full of it near ants and it seemed to work and he lived in a humid environment. My dad wrote a few of Borax mining manuals and would bring 5 gallon buckets of the stuff back in the 70's. We had an old craftsman two story house and my folks would rent rooms out for extra money and guess what? one of them had brought roaches with them and they took over the house quickly... till my dad took the borax and spread it throughout the house at the company's recommended. Worked almost as fast. I have used it ever since as a prevention measure.
But trust me I will be using your cold pressed orange oil method, so thank you for that idea!
Thanks for the info about the orange oil I will order some if i can find itbin your link, just one question you said it kills worms so how is it good to use in the garden, I don't want to kill the worms.
You're welcome. The link should be down in the video description. Yes, it will kill worms but only those close to the ant mound. Mounds aren't that big so in the grand scheme of things, few worms will die and only in the area under the mound.
Here is the link: amzn.to/39gcY4S
I clicked the link on Amazon and on the bottle it says "Hundreds of Uses!"....... apparently, they weren't lying lol
Lol. They are surely not. It is good stuff.
No ants Wer hurt in the making of this video.. lmao
I have fire ants in garden now all over my potatoes. Thanks for the advice
Glad the video was helpful. Good luck with those little devils.
Thank u n where can I buy Orange Oil please let me know Maria
You're welcome. We usually get it on Amazon. Here is the stuff we use: amzn.to/2Hth24K
Can you pour this into a potted plant safely? My poor lemon tree, I checked it this morning and over night - fire ants have made a nest
Absolutely. We do it all the time to our potted lemons.
I don't know if it works with fire ants but you can take a shovel and remove the top ant hill and place it on top of another ant hill and they will fight to the death every last one. Give it a try?
I tried it. It didn't really work for me. This method works fast and kills them.
Thank you so much for the information on to kill these fire ants I have them in my back yard and afraid my dog might hit the mound can't let her out they are bad thank you for letting me know about the orange oil I will try some this was very helpful DON
Glad we could help Don. Have fun killin those ants!
Thank you for this info.
You’re welcome
Thank you so much. I don't like chemicals near my plants, my food, or my family.
GOD BLESS YOU!! Fire Ants are no joke! They tear us up! They even came into our home one year! That was a first and thank God they didn’t come back! Our yard is are up with them! Now it’s time for them to be gone! Thank you so much!! Hod bless you and yours!!
You're welcome.
It’s just mixed with water?
Yes. That is how I use it. I use a spray hose so that it gets somewhat emulsified in the water. You can also add some soap if you want.
Thank you!
Can I use this product in my containers as I have citrus, figs and other food???
Absolutely
@@CountryLivingExperience thank you for replying
Pure Cold Press Oil is out of stock, what's the name of the other chemical you recommended?
I am sure they will get it back in stock soon. The other chemical is call Bifen IT. It is very effective but I don't recommend using it near children or vegetable gardens.
I tried this and was amazed how well it worked. Literally only one ounce of orange oil to a gallon milk jug full of water is all it takes to kill ants and it won't poison my dogs. Next day, I would say approximately 98% of ants (just a few stragglers) were gone in the areas I treated. GOOD STUFF!
Awesome!
Thanks for the video! Will the solution work through a portable pressure pump sprayer? Or is it to thick?
It will work in a pump sprayer. Using it on ants with a sprayer won't work however. You need a large volume of the solution to quickly drain down into the ant mound to kill them.
I’ll give it a try and give ‘em a good soak!- thanks!
Is there anywhere else you can buy the orange oil besides on line. Lowes or Home Depot? Thank you so much for sharing this. We have them all over our back yard!!!
You're welcome. I have never seen orange oil sold in stores. The only place I have found it is online. Amazon has had the best price that I have seen.
will it also work on regular non fire ants that i find inside the house too???
Absolutely. It works on many different kinds of insects.
I put ants from one mound onto another. In < a week the mound is abandoned. Free and easy. Give it a try.
How do you know it is not the same family? I put Amdro on a mound and the next day it had moved 4 ft away.
How long does it last? Is it effective on one mound or does it keep that area ant free? I have tried lots of ant poisons from bayer, ortho etc... but they find there way back to my yard. I had just planted 2 small cypress pine trees and after spraying bayer poison, the darn poison turned them brown and or killed my trees, but I still have ants. Frustrating to say the least. Anyway, I ask because doesnt the chemical stay in the ground for a few months so they dont come back?
I am not sure where you live but here in Texas it is impossible to totally get rid of fire ants. That being said, this orange oil does sit in the soil for a while. I have never seen a mound come back to the exact same area that I treat. It is very effective and it will not harm your plants, pets, or kids. That is why I use it. I do not think you will totally get rid of your ant problem.
I mixed orange juice with boric acid and the ones the boric acid didn't kill ? The others turned gay and moved to San Fransisco . Wash D C
Hahahaha!
Bahahahahahahahahahahahahah!!!
Did it join the Democraps Party?
I pissed on myself laughing so hard!!!!!
It ok because the gays can't reproduce ... win win again !!
Does it hurt birds that eat those worms? I don't want to hurt my Robin's and fish and frogs in my pond. I have a red fire ant nightmare in my backyard. Multiple mounds everywhere....
Not harmful to birds at all.
Lol , I think you’re advice is Great ! I’m Lol Because I live in S Louisiana where we have a major problem with fire Ants , I mean the real nasty big and attacking kind and I have been losing the battle with them in my yard for years and now when I’m downsizing to a apartment I run across your video, but I will make sure to share with my kids for their yards , thanks I really enjoyed your presentation.
They sure are a pain in the rear end. Glad our video was helpful....at least for your kids. We appreciate your kind words.
Is this alright around dogs and chickens?
Yes, absolutely.
Can I use this around daylilies? Will it fry my ornamental plants roots? and kill the plants.
It shouldn't. That being said, I have not used it around ornamentals. It has not affected any of my vegetables however.
Thank you! These little buggers are the bane of my existence
You're welcome. They are a pain for sure.
Is it the same as Essential orange oil? Can I use the Essential oil instead? Thanx a lot!
Hello. It is not the same as orange essential oil. You need the cold pressed oil.
Thanx! I can't find it in Israel..
Is it totally different from the Essential oil? @@CountryLivingExperience
@@tamirplatzmann8125 I think you have a lot of citrus in Israel. They should have it there somewhere. The cold pressed is going to way more cost effective too.
What if you cant find the mound? I have them on my plants and when I prune my trees they fall on me and my son🥺 been trying to find a safe method for my garden and my kids
Are they fire ants in the trees? We usually only get black ants in our trees. Try soaking the ground with the solution around the base of the tree and trying to follow or trace them back to their mound.
I have to try it ..literally being over run multiple types
Give it a shot. Make sure you use a sprayer on your hose to mix the oil with the water.
How would this work for fleas on dogs? I mean, would it hurt your dog?
It should not hurt the dog if diluted properly. It probably would kill fleas but I have never tested it. I would recommend you get your dog to the Vet for some good meds. I have had way too many problems with fleas on my property and have never had a non-prescription method work.
Ohhhh… I’m so happy I’m viewing here. FIRE ANTZ TRYING TO TAKE MY PLACE. Yes! I’m on it!! Takes for sharing. 👌🏽
You’re welcome
Can you double it? 2 ounces to one gallon?
Absolutely.
Country Living Experience: A Homesteading Journey great thanks so much!
Wherevdo b you buy orange 🍊 oil?
You can find it through this link....amzn.to/2Hth24K. We also have it listed in the video description below the video.
Thank you for the facts. I just bought 5 acres and trying to turn out a nice big garden but have ran into the little devils everywhere so I watched a couple videos relating to this, went to Wal-Mart because I wanted to get started immediately, couldn't find pure orange oil so I bought the closest thing I could find... "Pledge" LOL, with that ingredient in it thinking it might work. Needless to say I still have the problem and now I probably just added chemicals into the ground which I was trying to avoid in the first place. Other videos didn't clarify that you must use the actual pure orange oil and not something that just has a small part of that ingredient. Thank you! Anybody know of a store that you could purchase it at instead of ordering online??
Hi Lindsey. We put a link in the description for the product. Here it is again: amzn.to/2V9iBOW
I would skip the Pledge as it has too many other chemicals and way too little orange oil. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching.
We also found this new pure orange oil on amazon..... amzn.to/2UKkxxY We have not used this particular brand but it is 100% pure so should work perfectly.
take a shovel full of ants from 2 different mounds and put each shovel load onto the other mound, within 3 days they will each kill each other and each others queens, this works on all ants, they tend to be really territorial
I have tried that with limited to little success. The orange oil works really well.
Angel castro that typically won’t work, most fire ant colonies are multi queen. So they don’t fight each other and just turn into a super colony.
We have little fire ants here in Hawaii that live in trees. They're small, and can barely be seen, however they have a serious sting. They've been trying to eradicate them for years. Wonder if it would work on them?
Give it a shot. That would suck having then in the trees for sure.