A guide to treating fire ants as a community
One of the things we are really pushing these days is neighborhood treatment programs. This allows widespread areas to be treated concurrently, giving fire ants no place to go once the colonies have been targeted. In areas like the neighborhood of Karns, in Knoxville, where fire ants are a giant problem, due to new developments and imported soil/sod/etc., these programs are not only viable, but extremely important.
Here's a brochure we published that includes info on how these programs work and how to implement the Over 'n Out Two-Step Method to get rid of the pests (it's a PDF...you've been warned: A guide to treating fire ants as a community). Got questions? Let us know. We're here to help.
Here's a brochure we published that includes info on how these programs work and how to implement the Over 'n Out Two-Step Method to get rid of the pests (it's a PDF...you've been warned: A guide to treating fire ants as a community). Got questions? Let us know. We're here to help.
My TAMU extension rep for Harris County, TX has the quote below posted on his site. Can you comment on this? I'm trying to make a decision as to what product my neighbors and I should buy to have the least environmental impact on my frog pond and other creatures while killing only the fire ants. "This makes granular fipronil a poor choice as a barrier treatment around structures (5 to 10 foot swath) to protect them from fire ant entry, and reportedly causes some control failures in lots with large houses and small lawns." http://harris-tx.tamu.edu/fireant/index.htm
Reply to this
Tim,
Thank you for taking the time to post your comment on The FireRANT! We definitely appreciate it, and more importantly, appreciate you letting us know of your concern.
Over 'n Out® Fire Ant Killer Mount Treatment contains indoxacarb and will destroy mounds in 3-7 days. In fact, one container of this product will treat approximately 36 mounts on lawns, home perimeters, around ornamental plants and flower beds, gardens, sidewalks, patios, and driveways. Keep in mind, though, that this should not be used in areas where runoff into bodies of water is possible. This is something that you and your neighbors should bear in mind, especially if you have a frog pond in close proximity.
GardenTech also manufactures Over ‘n Out® Fire Ant Killer Granules, which contain the firpronil you were asking about. This has been rigorously tested by the USDA, Clemson University, Texas A&M, among others. Within two weeks after broadcast to your lawn, fire ants will begin to die. However, this product has been formulated to be applied over the entire lawn, and will not work if used as a mount treatment or barrier treatment.
Both Over ‘n Out® Fire Ant Killer Granules and the Over ‘n Out® Fire Ant Killer Mound Treatment can be used as a two step program. If you and your neighbors decide to pursue this route, be sure to review the instructions carefully beforehand, as watering can affect adequate foraging of the product.
If you still have questions, we would recommend checking out GardenTech.com for more information as well as product sheets that explain the products more in-depth.
Thanks again for writing. Good luck!
-- Over 'n Out
Reply to this