[buffalowings]

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If you plan on digging stuff up, you could try a bee suit. I use one at work sometimes and they are resistant to almost any insect.
Never dealt with fire ants in Canada before, but you could try 'smoking' them as with bees to slow them down a bit when you are working near them.
 
If worst comes to worst, you could just dig a trench around the area then pour some gasoline.....
Or if you have any fireworks left over from the fourth of July....

the gasoline doesn't seem like a bad idea, though my natural gardening book tells me to never use pesticides and such...any natural predators other than the anteater? 
 

 

[appophylite]

Quote:

As I understand it, you have to get poison down to the queen, so you need to use something like Amdro, which is little chunks that the workers
can grab and take down into the colony. If you don't kill the queen, you don't kill the colony.

Amdro is working really well on my war against large carpenter ants, but I can't remember if it is the one you need to be concerned about keeping away from free-ranging pets.

 

[wink]

 
Quote:

but I can't remember if it is the one you need to be concerned about keeping away from free-ranging pets.

You'll find out just after it happens....

 

[wje]

I can't say much about the fire ants this year.  However, we're noticing those very, very small red ants that are referred to as "can't see 'ems".  They were all over our brick sidewalk and steps.  I've applied a powdered version of ant killer along the foundation, steps and sidewalk.  Also, I used a spray insecticide to treat our areas around the doorway, etc.  Dang bugs are a real problem this year.