Roaches ....

[Diana]

We have fire ants really bad here, and I'd love to find a way to peacefully live with them. Watering will disband a nest, but they'll just move to another area.

I escort most bugs and critters from my home so they may carry on their way

But, fire ants are vicious - they swarm and sting en masse. I just haven't figure out a way to co-exist without them attacking.

Any tips?

Inside the house: The best thing to do is keep all food sealed and your house very clean. Even pet food should be sealed. If there is no food to find they just go away or don't come at all. Sugar is especially attractive to ants so leftover pie or cake should go in the fridge for example.

For out of doors: I would do the same. Keep garbage cans away from the house if possible. Also I would not have plants too close to the house and have a walkway around the house that is groomed.

I live very rurally off a dirt road, and we do have stinging ants here and there, but have no problems with them. They mostly have nests under a tree or near a water source. So that is another tip—have a water source for small animals outside, like bunnies, and they will likely congregate there. Along with food sources they also seek water sources. By the way if you do provide a water source, put a couple of rocks in it so tiny creatures can get out—baby birds or lizards can sometimes get trapped in a dish of water and not be able to get out.