For these products to work, water must be poured over the granules after placing them on the mound so the insecticide is washed into the nest to contact the ants as directed. Most contact insecticides must be watered in to wash the active ingredient into the fire ant's contact zone as described on the product label. When the label instructions are not followed, treatment may not kill the fire ant colony or may cause the colony to split into more colonies than before treatment. When applying these products, do not disturb the mound. Insecticide treatments do not prevent future fire ant infestations.
Fire ants can rapidly re-invade the treated area from adjacent nontreated areas.