Fire Ants
Sometimes the best solution to fire ants is to do nothing
It may be time to call a truce in the war with fire ants.
Most people in our area are familiar with the dome-shaped fire ant mounds that often are one to two feet high. The fire ant will usually establish these mounds in lawns, pastures, roadsides and cropland. The mounds are rarely found in heavily shaded areas. Many people in the Southeast are also familiar with the painful, burning sting which is the most significant problem associated with this pest.
Fire ant colonies consist of the brood (eggs, larvae and pupae) and adult ants. The adults include winged males, winged females, one or more egg-producing queens and workers. The winged males and females mate in flight. This mating flight can take place any time during the year, but usually occurs in the spring or early summer after a rainy period. Males die shortly after mating. After landing, mated females shed their wings and begin digging chambers in which they lay eggs to start a new colony. One fire ant colony may produce 3,000 to 5,000 queens per year, however, few will ever start a colony.
A single queen can lay over 2,000 eggs per day! She can live an average of six to seven years. The average fire ant colony contains 100,000 to 500,000 workers. Fire ant mounds can reach densities of 200 to 800 mounds per acre.
You should now begin to understand why fire ants are difficult to control. Some entomologists are now saying that in areas where fire ants don't pose a direct threat to human health, the best management practice may be to leave them alone.
Homeowners may have to find a tolerable level, especially considering the alternatives.
First, eliminating fire ants is impossible with current control measures. There is no single, universal solution to controlling fire ants.
Second, waging war on them can be expensive and requires a long-term commitment. A one-time treatment may make the problem worse. According to specialists at the University of Florida, "In areas where native ants and fire ants have been reduced or eliminated with insecticides, reinfestation by fire ants into these treated areas is rapid because they out compete other ant species."
A balanced approach to fire ant management is recommended. Those mounds that pose no threat to humans should be left alone. Instead, target specific mounds such as those close to buildings and walkways.
When treating single mounds with contact insecticides such as Orthene or diazinon, it is critical to treat when the queen and brood are close to the surface, which occurs when the temperature is between 70 and 85 degrees.
And when using any kind of fire ant bait such as Amdro, it is important to apply the bait when the ants are foraging for food. They are most actively doing that between 70 to 85 degrees. Actively foraging ants will pick up a bait and carry it into the nest within minutes. That's important because baits tend to quickly go rancid and then are no longer attractive to ants.
Currently there are many chemical formulations of insecticides available for fire ant control such as baits, granular products, injectable materials, powders and fumigants. Most of these insecticides are effective against fire ants, but killing an entire colony is often difficult. For best results, it is important when using insecticides to read and follow the label precautions and directions prior to use.
There are a number of options in controlling fire ants that can provide satisfactory results, and that sometimes includes doing nothing.
