Got Fire Ants?

It's spring and with so many people sheltering at home,
it's more likely than ever that you may run into 
an encounter with fire ant mounds.
These pesky critters can cause major damage outside,
but have also been known to chew through wires,
creating indoor hazards and loss of electrical power.
We learned how destructive these insects can be
in our Master Gardener class.
Anyone who has been bitten by these insects
is no doubt motivated to be rid of them.

The main goal of eliminating fire ants is to get to the queen.
Without the queen, the colony will perish
because no one will be laying eggs.
To determine if the time is right to apply your fire ant controls,
decide if the ants are active by spreading a few potato chips
in the designated area.
If you return to the spot a few hours later and they are feeding on the chips,
it would be a good time to treat.



The first step of chemical control used in this application
is broadcasting the bait, 
which can be distributed using a hand spreader,
(the kind that is used for spreading grass seed).
This should be done once a year,
until the mounds are no longer visible.
The second step includes drenching the individual mounds
that return to the same area.
Sprinkling the bait around each mound
when conditions are expected to stay dry
should take care of problematic areas.
Here's a video showing the method.

Two methods that have been proposed to work are
hot water and grits.
Neither has been an effective method for managing fire ants.
Unfortunately, I haven't found an effective organic method
for dealing with these creatures.


For more information, contact your local Cooperative Extension Center.

 From the NCSU website:

• "Use fresh bait. Remember that the food portion of the bait must be attractive to the ants. Old bait (particularly past its expiration date) will not attract the ants to feed on it. You can test the bait by putting some out where ants are active and see if they take it.
• In the spring when ant foraging first starts to increase, you can gauge ant activity by placing pieces of hot dogs or potato chips in areas of known or suspected ant mounds. Watch for ants to start feeding on the food items and then apply the bait as needed. At that point, baiting is likely to be more successful.
• Apply the bait according to label directions. Sprinkle the recommended amount around each mound (not on top of the mound itself). It is best to apply the bait in the early evening.
• Many bait labels recommend that the material not be applied within 6 hours after rainfall or heavy dew. Moisture can lead to the bait’s attractant oils becoming rancid and less attractive to foraging ants or may cause the bait granules to lodge in the grass foliage and so the ants do not readily find them."

 Hopefully, this will help you rid  your yard of fire ants,
and enable you to enjoy the great outdoors.