Fire ants hurt when they bite. Step on a fire ant or walk too close to their mound, and the next thing you know, you’ll be bitten for your transgression by one of the worst bites you can get. In terms of levels, fire ants fall in the level 1 pain scale, which is less than a honey bee sting.
Bullet ants hurt the most, and the pain is so bad, it sends people to the emergency room.
Even on the lower end of the pain scale, fire ants can cause havoc and hurt badly. If you have fire ants in your yard, it’s time to use the best fire ant killer. Eliminating them once and for all.
Table of Contents
- Our Top Pick: Ortho Orthene
- Top-rated 10 Fire Ant Killers (2019 Reviews)
- 1. Best Fire Ant Killer for Lawns: Ortho’s Orthene
- 2. Best Fire Ant Bait: Advion Ant Gel Insecticide
- 3. Martin’s Surrender Fire Ant Killer
- 4. Best Fire Ant Killer In the Yard: Ortho MAX
- 5. Amdro Fire Ant Bait
- 6. Best Fire Ant Killer for Home: Scotts Snap Pac Fire Ant Killer
- 7. Best Fire Ant Poison: Bayer Advanced Fire Ant Killer Dust
- 8. Advion Fire Ant Bait
- 9. Wellmark Extinguish Ant Bait
- 10. Amdro FireStrike Fire Ant Bait
- Fire Ant Killer Buyer FAQs
- The Final Verdict
Our Top Pick: Ortho Orthene
Ortho Orthene is easy to use and it can kill a queen within three days on average. Starts to kill ants in hours, requires no tools and is comprised of 50% Acephate. There’s also no watering-in required.
Features
- Kills the queen in three days
- Starts killing ants in hours
- No watering-in required
Top-rated 10 Fire Ant Killers (2019 Reviews)
1. Best Fire Ant Killer for Lawns: Ortho’s Orthene
This bottle of Fire Ant Killer is mainly designed for ornamental plants and lawns. A good thing about Ortho Orthene is that it does not require water to kill and is very easy to use. Just one tablespoon of dry powder over the mound is enough to kill the queen. Once the queen is taken care of, we can be sure of no re-infestation. The queen usually dies within 3 days and the effect lasts for 6 months or more. The composition of this Fire Ant killer is 50% Acephate and it can treat up to 162 mounds. It takes just a few minutes for this product to kill ants once it comes in contact with them, and it works well against Red harvester Ants too.
- Has a very long-lasting effect. That is for 6 months or more.
- The action of this insecticide is pretty fast compared to the other products.
- You do not need to mix the granules of Ortho Orthene with mater before pouring it.
- When applying the insecticide, it should be applied directly onto the mound.
- At times, the product is kind of difficult to apply.
- The granules are harmful for other plants and animals and may even kill or harm it.
2. Best Fire Ant Bait: Advion Ant Gel Insecticide
Advion fire ant bait is one of the best in the world. This is a 4 pack, and it works as an attractant that lures in all types of ants. Since ants love sweets, this is a sweet feeder that is odorless.
The goal is to place the gel in an area where the ants will take the bait and bring it back to their colony.
DuPont Professional Products offers a plunger with this product, and it is simple to use:
- Place bait in key areas where the ants traverse.
You can use the plunger to get into tough cracks and crevices, too. The rest is up to the ants. These little insects will feed on the gel, bring it back to share, and kill their entire colony. Ants flock to the bait, and it’s a lot more potent than borax.
When using this product, try to not kill any ants for a few weeks, as it takes time to get into the colony and kill all ants. If possible, place the bait next to the colony to draw out ants and start the killing cycle.
3. Martin’s Surrender Fire Ant Killer
The Martin’s Surrender Fire Ant Killer comes in a good quality shaker that enables you to sprinkle it over the ant mound. The main ingredient constituted in the Surrender powder is Acephate which kills the pests within a few days of applying. It is quite a successful insecticide and works very well in the long run. The quality of Martin’s Surrender Fire Ant Killer is on par with the major insecticides and it is quite strong. The result of being a potent insecticide is that it has long term benefits and results that are consistent. Apart from the bad odor that it releases, almost everything else is good about Martin’s Surrender.
- The active ingredient used in this insecticide is very powerful and reliable.
- A variety of bugs such as spiders, Fire ants etc can be taken care of by Martin’s Surrender Ant killer.
- Before we get to the end result, the Ant killer has to be just applied 1 or two times.
- The expiry for this insecticide is quite long.
- The odor that you get after applying is very bad and sometimes is described as rotten sulphur mixed with old milk.
- The grass, bugs, plants etc near to the area of application can totally be damaged.
- The applicator provided might not be of much use. You need to use a spoon to carry out the application properly.
- It is quite dangerous for pets and children. Definitely must be kept out of their reach.
4. Best Fire Ant Killer In the Yard: Ortho MAX
Ortho fire ant killer is one of the most potent products on the market. This product is supplied in 11.5-pound bags, and it’s only available in select states because it’s so effective. Ortho guarantees this product will work, and it can treat up to 5,000 sq. ft.
This product will keep mounds from forming for six months, and it kills the queen, too.
You can apply this killer easily:
- Sprinkle one tablespoon on the mound
- Apply the granules across the lawn
- Add water
So, the first step is to place the granules on the mound, and then spread it across the lawn and add water.
Following both steps will kill fire ants and keep them from forming new mounds for up to six months.
5. Amdro Fire Ant Bait
Amdro offers fire ant bait granules, too, in a two-pound container. This is a fast-acting bait, and the active ingredient is Hydramethylnon. What’s great about this product is that it kills the queen and all her subjects even when you don’t know where the mound is located.
This product works exactly like the previous product, and a two-step process is followed:
- Target colonies and mounds that you’ve identified
- Sprinkle the bait across the yard
Amdro works all season long, and it’s designed to taste just like food to ants. The ants will bring the “food” back to the colony to share, and there is a delayed reaction to ensure that the other ants don’t realize there’s a problem until it’s too late.
The full effect takes form in one week in most cases, in which the queen ant is already on her death bed waiting to die.
This is better than any contract killer on the market.
6. Best Fire Ant Killer for Home: Scotts Snap Pac Fire Ant Killer
These granules are very effective in stopping fire ants from destroying your home or lawns. With the combination of grass seeds and fertilizers, you can apply it on weeds. In fact, the Scotts Snap Pac Fire Ant Killer works very well against Fire Ants as well as weeds. In terms of management of your garden, this product is second to none as it helps you fight against pests at the same time as controlling the growth of unnecessary weeds. For short term benefits and for overall control, the Snap Pac might be the best insecticide out there. In terms of long run, this product just falls short though.
- The Residual effect is quite long. It goes beyond 4 months which is great.
- Scotts Snap Pac insecticide is very versatile in the sense that you can get rid of weeds, Fire Ants as well as other pests with a single product.
- The immediate effect creates a good impact. The after effects of applying can be seen within 12 hours.
- A spreader is required for applying it around your yard.
- The product is not 100% waterproof and can turn out to be a problem for some.
The success of the product is not always on the positive side. It is more like a hit or miss scenario depending on the infestation.
7. Best Fire Ant Poison: Bayer Advanced Fire Ant Killer Dust
One of the best killer products in the market, Bayer Advanced can get the job done quickly. After applying the dust to the mound, the colony will start to die, and you will start seeing dead ants around. Additional products per application are not required and the use is for outside areas only.
Even though it is quite popular owing to its effectiveness, due to the active ingredient Cyfluthrin, it is banned in some states. It is because Cyfluthrin is dangerous and is poisonous to humans.
If you have a cat or dog, don’t use this product.
But this poison is one of the most effective on the market. Spread the dust across your lawn, and the poison will be eaten by the ants and taken back to their nest to finish off the rest of the colony.
Ideally, this dust should be placed as close to a mound as possible due to its toxic nature.
- The results are extremely fast. It takes less than an hour approximately.
- The product is known to be very consistent with many positive customer reviews.
- It can be used against a wide range of pests.
- The active ingredient Cyfluthrin is dangerous to human beings
- The application of dust to the mounds can be hard at times
- The nearby plants and animals will be affected adversely.
8. Advion Fire Ant Bait
One of the most effective products from this line, the Advion Fire is one of a kind. It has proven to be very effective in the control of pests. The active ingredient inside Advion is Indoxocarb, which is the same ingredient used for killing of cockroaches. The killing takes place in a time frame of 24 to 48 hours. You can either apply it over your lawn or apply it on top of each mound individually. It all depends on your requirements.
In case your ant problem is not getting better, you can try both options. This bait is effective in all the stages of an ant’s lif.
- The active ingredient used in this bait is very effective and well-known
- The killing action is very quick with a time period of 24 to 48 hours.
- It can be used against a wide variety of pests. (versatility)
- The product is really expensive when compared to other products on our list.
- The Advion Fire might require a spreader when applying it to your whole yard.
9. Wellmark Extinguish Ant Bait
Wellmark offers the Extinguish Plus which is more expensive than many of the competing baits we’ve reviewed, but it’s a product that is often out of stock because it works so well.
Two key ingredients have been combined to control fire ant populations:
- IGR – to sterilize the queen
- Adulticide – kills worker ants
And each container comes with 4.5 pounds of ant killer – more than enough for an average yard. Two-way action kills the colony, and since the queen is sterilized, there’s no chance that the colony will rebound and come back.
Meant for outdoor use, apply the bait when ants are feeding and foraging. You’ll want to apply when soil temperatures are at least 60F. Place the bait near the mound, and only apply when the ground is free from dew or moisture.
Indoor use is also possible, but you’ll need to apply just 2 teaspoons to crevices or cracks where ants are known to traverse.
If wet, the ants will not be attracted to the bait.
- Two key ingredients act to kill worker ants and queen ants to kill the colony
- Offers 4.5 pounds of ant killer so that you can treat larger spaces
- Can be used indoors or outdoors with caution
- Product is more expensive, but it does come with larger quantities
- Product is often low on stock, so you have to purchase quickly
10. Amdro FireStrike Fire Ant Bait
Amdro’s FireStrike is designed to attack fire ants directly, and it does this with season-long control. New fire ant mounts are stopped from forming. The queen is killed. Everyone, including your pets and kids, can enjoy the yard again.
Offered in a shaker bag, you’ll find two pounds of bait that’s enough to treat 4,000 square feet of space.
Hydramethylnon is used as the key ingredient.
Use a spreader for small lawns. Spread the product in a ring around the ant mound. The ants will take the bait, bring it back to the queen and die. Amdro works within 2 – 3 days and the mound will be killed.
You’ll start to notice a decline in the fire ant population within just 24 hours in most cases. The mound will die, but some mounds and colonies are more difficult to eliminate than others.
If you still see fire ants, apply the product again. Most users find that one or two applications is all that they need to be fire ant-free. It’s an effective way to eliminate all of your fire ants, and a lot of users have more than enough bait left over for the next season.
- Shaker bag makes it easy to spread bait around
- Works in 2 – 3 days for most colonies
- Enough product to cover 4,000 square feet of space
- May require more applications for larger mounds
Fire Ant Killer Buyer FAQs
The Final Verdict
All if the above-said products work really well against the fire ants. But still, every product whether it is above average or amazing, has its pros and cons. When talking about safety, we simply cannot use Bayer Advanced Fire Ant killer without taking precautions.
The Martin’s Surrender has powerful active ingredients but the odor is something to be noted as it is quite pungent.
Advion and the Scotts Snap require the use of external spreaders to apply it to your yard. Considering the safety aspects, the Ortho is the clear winner and no water mixing is required.
In terms of duration of effects too, the Ortho has an advantage with a duration of over 6 months. Each one stands out on its respective merits, but some drawbacks are also worth noting. It is purely up to your discretion as to which product would be better for getting rid of fire ants.