Summer is in full effect.  That means temperatures reaching and exceeding 100 degrees, lazy afternoons, and air conditioning.  It also means that it is too hot for fire ants to be foraging.  Fire ants like to stay underground where it is moist and cool, and only emerge if their mound is bothered.  But then the rain comes.

In a great story from Shreveport, La., we learn of Jerry Henderson who found fire ant mounds popping up in her yard after recent rains subsided.  Temperatures drop after it rains which gives fire ants the green light to come out from underground.  Numerous fire ant mounds can pop up after it rains and fire ant activity increases.

Treating fire ant mounds after it rains is recommended because the pests are more active creating a better opportunity for the bait to interact with the whole colony.  After the rain, start the Over ‘n Out Two-Step Method, if you haven’t done so already.  The individual mound treatment starts to decrease fire ant activity within 48 hours and the broadcast treatment controls fire ant infestation for the rest of the season.