Fire Ants in the Bedroom

Updated on June 17, 2011
A.L. asks from Austin, TX
4 answers

My daughter woke up this morning covered in fire ant bites - they're nesting under her bed!

(For the record, we allow only water in the bedrooms, and the only foods allowed to leave the kitchen are dry minimal-mess foods, like goldfish, pretzels, and popcorn, and they are only allowed to venture into the living room. If the bowl is left out, the priveledge is rescinded for the rest of the day. The ants are coming in for the same reason everyone else in central Texas is: this is the worst heat and drought we've had in fifty years.)

The sheets are in the wash. Vacuuming will soon follow.

I'm sure it's understandable - I don't want to spray my child's sleeping area with pesticides. Can anyone recommend a child-safe ant repellent?

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So What Happened?

I'm a bit surprised, myself that she didn't wake up - and I know she didn't because I had insomnia myself last night. I've always said she could sleep through anything; apparently she really can.

Dawn - I appreciate your concern; this is far, far from the first time any of us have been biiten multiple times by fire ants - I myself had an emergency doctor's visit as a child thanks to them. I know I said "covered," and I'm sorry, but that might have been a bit of an exaggeration - it was only about ten bites, but when it's a child and it happens in her bed, well, I hope the exaggeration is forgiveable. She healed very quickly - they were already in the pustule stage by breakfast, and faded almost completely by lunch. I am sure they were fire ants - I react the same way, and I found the little buggers in her bed.
I have completely cleaned out her bedroom, top to bottom - it was probably overdue for it, anyway. I went ahead and sprayed the empty room, and I'll steam the carpet tomorrow before I put all of the furniture back in - I think I'll let her sleep with us tonight. I think before we spray outside, we'll go ahead and treat the other rooms the same way.

Thak you all for your suggestions; I also checked out "The Dirt Doctor" (oprganic lawn care - check out his website if you need anything like that) - but all he had t offer was outside,long-term solutions - nothing that works quickly.

More Answers

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D.B.

answers from Los Angeles on

I understand your concern over not spraying her room with pesticides... but you're talking fire ants which are bad. I'd spray just so they don't return any time soon and bite her again. They are almost as bad as spiders. (We get black widows here and have caught one in the house - so i spray my kids' room for that. black widow bite = er visit for us)

But I'd definitely move your daughter into another room to sleep for at least the next few nights while you find something to get rid of the ants until your sure there's no more of those ants in her room.

1 mom found this helpful
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D.B.

answers from Charlotte on

Amanda, fire ant bites are extremely painful and potentially deadly. Did she wake up screaming?

The second time you get bitten by fire ants, the reaction is even worse, and you should be prepared to get her to a hospital ER.

You MUST get rid of them - even if that means using an exterminator. I'd get the heck out of that house and go stay somewhere else while the professionals take care of this.

Dawn

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.G.

answers from Chicago on

We have black ants here, and they were infesting my house last summer. I hated seeing my boys have ants on them while they played. I tried every safe remedy I could find or was told about. NONE of them worked, so I finally sprayed. And, that was just for black ants! Since you have fire ants, spray, spray, spray! I like the suggestion to have her sleep somewhere else for a few nights until the spray clears. Spray inside the room and outside the perimeter of your house.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.P.

answers from Raleigh on

Bait with some honey and then follow their trail. When you locate the nest (probably outside the home), spray with Bayer Advanced. This stuff works great, better than any other on the market. That will take care of your problem. Spraying her room would just only fix the problem for a day or so.
We recently did exactly what I outlined above with carpenter ants. Exterminators couldn't even get rid of them because they weren't spraying the nest. My husband used the Bayer after we found where they were going (into a tree near the house), and we have had NO more problems.
Hope this helps!

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