Red imported fire ants are everywhere in southeast Texas, and they have a particular fondness for the inside of sprinkler valve boxes, meter boxes and outdoor electrical housings. Many homeowners find this out the hard way when they lift a lid.
Why ants pick valve boxes
A valve box is a sheltered space with loose soil, moisture and warmth. After heavy rain, ants move to higher, drier spots, and the inside of a box often qualifies. Fire ants are also known to be attracted to electrical fields and tend to gather around electrical connections and equipment.
What they damage
Wire splices. Ants pack into connectors and around wires. Their bodies and the soil they carry can cause shorts or corrosion. A zone that suddenly stops, or a controller showing a fault on one station, can be ant damage at the splice.
Solenoids. Ants and soil can get into the solenoid area of a valve and interfere with it.
Controllers. Outdoor controllers and their housings can fill with ants. They can damage the circuit board.
Access. A box full of ants makes basic maintenance miserable.
Clearing a box safely
- Protect yourself. Wear gloves and long sleeves, and tuck pants into socks. Fire ant stings are painful, and some people have serious allergic reactions. If you are allergic, do not do this yourself.
- Lift the lid with a tool, not your hand, and step back.
- Treat according to the label. Many fire ant products are labeled for use around mounds. Read and follow the label exactly, and keep products away from the valve diaphragm and out of the water.
- Clean out the soil once ants are gone, so you can see the valve and wiring.
- Check the splices. Replace corroded or packed splices with waterproof gel-filled connectors.
Keeping them out
- Keep boxes clear of excess soil; a few inches of gravel at the bottom helps drainage and makes boxes less attractive
- Make sure lids fit and are not cracked
- Use waterproof, sealed splices
- Treat mounds in the yard on a regular schedule
- Keep controller housings closed and sealed
When a zone stops
If a zone stops working and the valve box is full of ants, ants may be the cause, but not always. A test of the circuit at the controller and the valve tells us whether it is the wiring, the solenoid or something else. See zone will not turn on or off.
Call us
If ants have taken over your valve boxes or controller and something stopped working, call (346) 627-2444.
Have a question this did not answer? Call (346) 627-2444 and ask. More articles on the blog.
