Fire ants can be found in many lawns and landscapes in the southeast. With the cool temperatures and humid weather in autumn, ants will continue to be a problem.
Fire ants can be found in many lawns and landscapes in the southeast. With the cool temperatures and humid weather in autumn, ants will continue to be a problem.
Fire ants can be found in many lawns and landscapes in the southeast. With the cool temperatures and humid weather in autumn, ants will continue to be a problem.
Unfortunately, fire ants have found homes in most of our southeast pastures and many of our lawns and landscapes. Since we are in cool autumn and humid weather all year round, unfortunately, for us, they will continue to be a problem.
There are many reasons for the problem, including damage to equipment, reducing forage growth, and of course, it may cause pain and injury to animals and ourselves. Unfortunately, there is no simple solution to the fire ant problem. The control of these pests depends on the concentration and location of the mound. Among the products labeled for pasture, some are chemicals used to treat mounds and kill ants, while others are insect growth regulators that can be spread on pastures. The focus is on making the queen of the colony sterile. Eventually remove it. colony.
What products can be used? Depending on availability, Amdro Pro (Methoxyl Methoxyphene), Extinguish (Methoxypentene), Extinguish Plus (Methoxypentene + Methoxyl Methoxyphene), Esteem (pyripoxyphene), Award ( Fenoxycarb) Logic (Fenoxycarb), Sevin 80WSP, XLR Plus and SL (Carboaryl). select. It is recommended to use some of these products for mound treatment, some for broadcasting, and some at the same time. Sevin is used exclusively as a immersion therapy. Some of these products are insect growth regulators (IGR), which can cause the queen to become sterile, stop breeding, and control the colony. Some of the IGRs to choose from are methoprene, piroxifen and fenoxycarb.
The right time and the right product application are the keys to dealing with ants. The best time to treat is in spring and fall, and in the morning when the temperature is around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. It is also important not to treat if the ground is wet or there is no rain for the next 36 hours. Once the bait is wet, the ants are not interested in bringing it into the mound. It is also recommended to check ant activity or “foraging” by placing potato chips or cheese puffs on the ground near the mound. If ants appear on the snack within 30 minutes, it means that the colony is active and foraging.
• Do not store the product after the expiration date. They will lose their attraction to ants and become ineffective.
• Do not store near other pesticides or fuels. They may absorb odors and affect the taste of ants, so they are ineffective.
• Do not disturb the mound during treatment. This will make the ants unhappy and disrupt their normal foraging behavior.
• Do not reapply bait within ten days of direct poison application, because there will be no ant activity during this time.
For more information or a copy of the Fire ant Management extended publication, please contact the Cooperative Extension Center at 910-592-7161, or visit the following article: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/red-imported-fire- ant in north carolina
The use of brand names and any commercial products or services mentioned or listed in this article does not imply endorsement by North Carolina State University, nor does it imply discrimination against similar products or services not mentioned.
Eileen Coite is the director of Sampson County Cooperative Extension Services. Call 910-592-7161 or contact her [email protection]