Fire Ants in Container Garden

Containers provide lots of hiding spots and moisture for fire ants.

Containers provide lots of hiding spots and moisture for fire ants.

Containers simplify gardening chores, giving plants with special needs their own little islands of specific pH, moisture and fertilizer. Even more flexible annuals or wildflowers thrive in containers because soil-borne diseases and pests are less common in potting soils. For all the beauty and ease container gardens create, they may also attract fire ants.

Fire Ants

The infamous red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) aren't the only species you may run into in your yard. Southern fire ants (Solenopsis xyloni) and harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex californicus) are other stinging red ants that measure up to 1/5 inch long. These two are considerably less aggressive than their imported cousins. Red imported fire ants tend to build many large mounds in a small area, whereas native fire ants may be limited to a few scattered nests.

Damage and Danger

Fire ants can damage plants, lawns and other items, like electrical boxes, when they build their large nests. They feed on seedlings, plant buds, developing fruits and seeds and chew electrical insulation, causing malfunctions. Beyond simply being a nuisance, fire ants are potentially dangerous. Although native fire ants will attack if provoked, red imported fire ants aggressively pursue targets after the slightest disturbance. Often, red imported fire ants sting people or pets multiple times, leading to burning and itching skin where pustules soon form. For people with an allergy to fire ant bites, chest pain, nausea, dizziness or shock are likely and require immediate medical attention.

Soil Drenches

Unlike lawns and gardens, containers are usually small enough to lift and move around, making fire ant treatment easier. Fire ants living in small pots can be immediately destroyed by submerging the pot for 20 minutes into a bucket containing insecticidal soap mixed at a rate of 2 tablespoons of concentrate per 1 quart of water. Make sure there's only enough water to just cover a planted container, otherwise you risk damaging the plants. Larger plants can be drenched with this same formula by applying it with a watering can, but continue to drench these containers until the medium is very moist. Always work carefully around fire ants -- treating at night may be a better choice because the colony as a whole is less active. Read all labels as rates vary among brands.


Baits are an effective long-term treatments for ants. If your container garden has ants in the gravel or other bedding medium where your pots are sitting, baiting may be the only way to permanently remove them from the area. Spread 1 ounce of hydramethylnon-based fire ant granules per 45 square feet in the garden, refreshing the bait as it disappears, or after a heavy rain. If you know where the fire ant nest is, carefully sprinkle 1 to 2 1/8 ounce of bait per mound, being careful not to touch the mound. You should see a significant reduction in fire ants in one to four weeks. Always check the label on the product you buy to verify the instructions.

Protecting Container Gardens

If you live in a fire ant-prone area, you may do battle with fire ants regularly, but a few tricks will keep these ants out of your containers for good. Paint sticky barriers onto pot rims and refresh them every few weeks to keep ants from entering the top of pots. When the bases of pots are in contact with the ground, attach fine screens over the drainage holes to prevent ants from entering through the bottom. Another idea for protecting container plants is to build a shallow moat -- an extra-wide water garden or other water feature will permanently exclude ants from pots elevated just out of the pool.

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