Since moving to Texas, I have been very up close and personal with fire ants! I had 16 bites on my right leg. I went to the pharmacy, asked what to use on the bites and (I was taking Benadryl), and was told just plain old household ammonia. It works! At the local feed store, they told me sevin would work on the ant hills. I have always been told that it was safe, and I even powder my dogs and their bedding with it. Anyway, I have 5% Sevin dust, I have put it on fire ant hills, and next day, no ants! It gets on their bodies and they carry it to the queen. Sevin will also kill Japanese Beetles. I will have to ask our vet about sevin no longer being considered safe for animals, but till I hear it straight from the "horses mouth", I will use it on those blasted ant hills! I am so allergic to so many insects, and anything that saves me a problem and is safe is worth using to me. Thanks for the heads up on the sevin. I will call the vet about it right away.
Oh, I tried the vinegar recipe, just scurried them around, but did not kill them. I know boric acid works, but I am afraid it is poison to the animals.