Hello Bob
What I am here to say is  one of those "Rest of the story and for what it is
worth ". In Southern Cal there are ,when I was there ,no Fire ants. BUT
trillions of tiny tiny ants, which are a pest in bee hives since they are
not noted by the bees.
Even the  old standby oil cans did not prevent them from finding ways to get
into the hive.
A formula of Flaked or granulated SOAP ( Not detergent) in the ratio of 3
table spoons of soap to 1 Gall of water killed these critters instantly. I
do not know whether this works on larger ants.
Furthermore this formula is also very effective against Mealy bugs and aphis.
I applied this mix with an ordinary garden sprayer.
I do not know if bees would be affected.
regards
JDF