# Big red ants!!



## YankeeRedneck (Jun 15, 2010)

I've got two nests in my yard of big red ants. They are about half a inch to maybe three quarter inch long. Put some ant killer on them and no dice! They make a big hole in the ground not a mound like fire ants. Anybody seen these guys in there yards?


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## Slingblade (Jun 15, 2010)

Yep, got'em in my yard too.


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## Nicodemus (Jun 15, 2010)

Sounds like you got cowkillers.


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## meatseeker (Jun 15, 2010)

gas works best


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## Slingblade (Jun 15, 2010)

Not what I know as cowkillers Nic, just big red ants, no velvet on them at all.  They don't make hills, just a flat cleared out spot and a hole; they do make trails through the grass.


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## telsonman (Jun 15, 2010)

sounds like harvester ants. The same ones that they put in ant farms. I wouldn't worry too much about them. They don't to any harm like fireants. But, if they were too close to the house, I'd kill them too.


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## Nicodemus (Jun 15, 2010)

Slingblade said:


> Not what I know as cowkillers Nic, just big red ants, no velvet on them at all.  They don't make hills, just a flat cleared out spot and a hole; they do make trails through the grass.





Oh, ok, might be what we call bull ants, then. Kinda dark red, slick lookin` ants?


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## DeepweR (Jun 16, 2010)

take a shovel, stick it in one mound/nest, and put it on top of the other mound/nest. they will fight to the death, and kill each other!


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## Jeff Raines (Jun 16, 2010)

I've got the same kind of nest,but these ants are orange


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## dawg2 (Jun 16, 2010)

They sound like Harvester ants.  Can someone put up a pic?

They don't sound like Velvet Ants because they do not have communal nests.  Also, Velvet Ants are actually a solitary wasp.


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## Bottle Hunter (Jun 16, 2010)

Big ol' red ants,some w/ big heads. Looks like they got a lot of debris on their mound?

 Don't know what ya call em except ya don't see em any more, much anyway. I think they fireants done put a whooping on them.

 If they don't bother ya why kill em?


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## Jeff Raines (Jun 16, 2010)

Bottle Hunter said:


> Big ol' red ants,some w/ big heads. Looks like they got a lot of debris on their mound?
> 
> Don't know what ya call em except ya don't see em any more, much anyway. I think they fireants done put a whooping on them.
> 
> If they don't bother ya why kill em?


Actually I've seen more of them in my yard than fireants this year.
I ain't killing them


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## greasemnky20 (Jun 16, 2010)

*Harvester ants*

Sounds like harvester ants to me too. Look like this?


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## Capt Quirk (Jun 16, 2010)

Most Cow Killers are solitary, I have never seen a nest of them... not that it isn't possible, just never seen it.


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## greasemnky20 (Jun 16, 2010)

*the nest*

Here is a pic I found of the red harvester ant nest.


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## Slingblade (Jun 16, 2010)

Yep, Harvester ants they are.


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## LCT (Jun 16, 2010)

I heard cowkillers are actually a type of wasp.  Is that true?


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## trents99 (Jun 16, 2010)

Yep, wasp. Always saw them wandering the yard solo.


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## Offroad (Jun 16, 2010)

Got some in my back yard also.They do not bother me so i don't bother them.Now if they start gettin after me then


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## dawg2 (Jun 16, 2010)

LCT said:


> I heard cowkillers are actually a type of wasp.  Is that true?



See post #10


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## dawg2 (Jun 16, 2010)

greasemnky20 said:


> Here is a pic I found of the red harvester ant nest.



Flasback to Central America looking at that....


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## Swamprat (Jun 16, 2010)

What some folks are calling harvester ants we call them bull ants....for the most part they are of little concern. They are happy just doing their own thing. 

If agitated they will latch on to you and bite and if you try to flick them off their mandibles are designed like a a scissor hook and the body will break off of the head and the mandible will stay attached. Painfull is the key word.


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## YankeeRedneck (Jun 16, 2010)

Thanks guys for all the info. They maybe more orange than red. I was concerned they would put a hurting on the kiddos! But they do seem sort of docile,no bare spot on the grass just a good size hole. I'll try to post some pics here tommorrow and your right not to many fire ants this year you think with all the rain we would be run over with them. Thanks again..........


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## LCT (Jun 17, 2010)

dawg2 said:


> See post #10



I dont cost a dime to pay attention.


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## 56willysnut (Jun 22, 2010)

I'd leave them there maybe some hornytoads will show up and eat'em up for you. 

 Does Georgia have any hornytoads left?


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## Bob Shaw (Jun 23, 2010)

I had some in my yard and they were getting to be a pest. I used Sevin dust on them and in a few days, they were gone.


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## rip2k3 (Jul 2, 2010)

I like this idea. Make them suffer. Post #8  is a win...................


deep'we R said:


> take a shovel, stick it in one mound/nest, and put it on top of the other mound/nest. they will fight to the death, and kill each other!


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## YankeeRedneck (Jul 2, 2010)

Well no pictures those buggers beat feet!


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## JustUs4All (Jul 2, 2010)

We used to have a lot of them in the sandy areas when I was a kid.  I think they were mostly displaced by the fire ants when they came.


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