Insect foggers are only temporarily effective against fire ants.
Discovering that fire ants have invaded your home can be scary. Fire ants are known for their painful stings and aggressive behavior. Using a fogger may seem like a good way to eradicate them. However, it is unlikely to permanently get rid of your fire ant problem. Foggers have also come under attack due to the potential negative health effects they can have on people and pets if not used correctly. Does this Spark an idea?
Indoor Fire Ants
Usually fire ants build their nests outside and forage inside a home in search of food and water. However, sometimes fire ants will build a nest inside. If they do, the nests are usually found inside walls or partially under a concrete slab. A small pile of debris or soil near expansion joints, along the edge of a carpet or near pipes are locations where fire ants may build nests.
How Foggers Work
Foggers are aerosol sprays that have special chemicals added that causes the spray to remain suspended longer before settling. Foggers usually contain pyrethrins or pyrethoids. Pyrethrins are natural insecticides derived from chrysanthemum flowers. Pyrethroids are synthetic versions of pyrethrins. Both work by altering the nerve function in insects, which paralyzes and eventually kills them.
Use Against Indoor Fire Ants
Foggers will have little long-term effect on fire ants nesting inside your home. The insecticides contained in foggers will work against fire ants, but only if applied to the entire nest. Although foggers may claim to penetrate cracks and crevices, the spray does not penetrate deep enough to have any effect on a fire ant nest. Fire ant nests are very extensive and can be as much as 10 feet long--much too far for a fogger to reach.
Using Against Outside Fire Ants
If fire ants are nesting outside and only foraging indoors, foggers may temporarily get rid of the ants. Pyrethroid insecticides can be used to drive foraging fire ants away from high-use areas such as kitchens and recreation rooms, according to Charles Apperson and Michael Waldvogel, entomologists with North Carolina State University. They do not specifically mention foggers, however. This should only be done while you work at getting rid of outdoor fire ants, otherwise the ants will soon return.
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