July 1998 Vol. 1 No. 5
Table of Contents:
The Texas Imported Fire Ant Research & Management Plan promotes:
Research to improve current fire ant management methods at Texas A&M University, University of Texas, Texas Tech University and the Texas Department of Agriculture.
Community-wide management of fire ants, using of the "Two-Step Method" where appropriate in fully infested areas.
Late summer or early fall initiation of bait-based fire ant management programs such as the "Two-Step Method."
Where Are All the Fire Ants? - Bastiaan M. Drees, Director, Texas Imported Fire Ant Project
Q. I have recently had numerous telephone calls asking: "Where are all the ants?"
A. I wish the Texas Fire Ant Research & Management Project could claim credit for the absence of imported fire ants this summer, but it can not. The extreme hot and dry conditions in April through June has reduced ant numbers and mounding activity.
Q. Another frequently asked question is, "What causes those piles of dead ants?"
A. During times of stress to ant colonies, such as we have been experiencing, older worker ants die off due to lack of food and water. These dead ants are hauled out of the colony and put in piles we call "bone piles." This is normal and does not necessarily indicate that a colony has some terminal disease that you could extract, patent and make a lot of money from...
Q. The next question is: "Should I keep making fire ant bait applications when there are no ant mounds visible?"
A. During hot, dry periods, there is very little ant mounding activity and we may forget that they're there! But, in fact, it's during these periods when the ants can cause more problems. Most of the injuries to pets, livestock and wildlife occur during the hot summer months. This is when hungry, thirsty ants and ant colonies will move into homes looking for food and moisture.
Furthermore, when the rains finally do come, the ant mounds seem to pop up everywhere - not because they just arrived, but because they are finally able to work the soil and nest near the surface. Don't wait until you have serious ant problems. Keep those problems from happening by maintaining a good control program throughout the year.
The "Two-Step Method" is suitable for managing ants in quarter acre lawns where 4 to 5 mounds (20 mounds per acre) are observed or treated in a "normal" year. This method relies on the annual or semi-annual (twice per year) broadcast application of an effective bait-formulated insecticide. The second step is the use of an individual fire ant mound treatment product like a dust, drench or granular insecticide to treat "nuisance" mounds.
Conventionally formulated fire ant bait products (e.g., products containing processed corn grits coated with soybean oil) are generally slow acting and take several weeks to months before they provide maximum levels of suppression. One of the advantages of using a broadcast application of a bait-formulated product is that you do not need to know where the ants are nesting. Bait products can be used effectively to further reduce ant populations and eliminate them before they rebound in the fall.
If you have not already made a broadcast bait application during the spring, it is not too late. During hotter periods, fire ant workers forage mainly at night. During the day, they stay deep in the nesting site. Just remember to apply fresh product late afternoon or early evening!
The :Two-Step Method" is probably the most suitable, cost-effective and least toxic alternative for use in heavily-infested urban areas. This method can also be used in pastures, provided that the products selected and used are registered for use in pastures and you follow label directions carefully. Keep on dancing!
For a Fire Ant-Free Spring, Broadcast a Bait Product in the Fall - prepared by Bastiaan M. Drees, Director, Texas Imported Fire Ant Project
Although most people think of starting to control fire ants in the spring, the best time to start control programs, such as the "Two-Step Method," is during late summer or early fall.
The Texas Agricultural Extension Service will be promoting late summer, early fall application during Fire Ant Awareness Week, Sept. 14 - 20, 1998. To help get this message across, we'll partner fall fire ant application with another Texas fall tradition -- football. The slogan for all print, broadcast, and outdoor public service announcements will be:
It's best to apply bait-formulated fire ant insecticides from late August through October to allow the baits to reduce fire ant populations over the winter. That's when conditions are right for treatment:
Ants still actively collect bait
Weather patterns are more predictable. Baits can be applied when no rain is expected for several days after treatment.
Most importantly: Spring is the time when most Texans expect to enjoy the great outdoors! Bait applied in the spring (after it warms up enough to allow ants to forage for food), does not reduce ant mound numbers until several weeks to months - too late for a fire ant-free spring!
Fenoxycarb bait products (Logic®, Award®) work more slowly than hydramethylnon baits (Amdro®, Siege®, Combat®, MaxForce®); abamectin bait (Ascend®) is intermediate in speed of activity. Hydramethylnon (Amdro®), when applied at a rate of 1 to 1 ½ pounds per acre, provides its maximum control 3 to 6 weeks after application.
Products containing fenoxycarb (Logic®) act much more slowly, because the products do not kill worker ants. Instead, they prevent the production and development of workers. Ants in the mound at the time of treatment must die off naturally. Maximum effects from these "insect growth regulator" insecticides occur two to nine months after application.
If individual mound treatments are needed, wait two to seven days after broadcasting the bait product before treating. Otherwise wait for the bait products to perform; avoid treating the same ant mounds twice. Very few mounds will need to be treated individually once the bait has been applied effectively.
Although the "Two-Step Method" is appropriate for most turfgrass areas
in heavily infested areas, there are other approaches (see B-6043, "Managing
Red Imported Fire Ants in Urban Areas"). Whatever fire ant control efforts
are used, take care to follow use directions. None of the methods of fire
ant control available today eliminates ants forever. Plan to reapply treatments
as needed for as long as control is desired.
Start Preparing Now for Fire Ant Awareness Week, Sept. 14-20 - Lynette James, Agricultural Communications
The goal of having a Fire Ant Awareness Week in the fall is two-fold: to educate the public that late summer/early fall is an ideal time to treat for fire ants, and to show the progress in fire ant research and community-wide management programs. Agricultural Communications is producing many resources to assist counties get the word out about fire ant management and program progress by using special events, news media, and public service announcements.
Education campaign materials
All materials will depict the football theme: tackle fire ants in the fall for fewer ants in the spring. This statewide media campaign includes TV and radio public service announcements (PSAs), billboards, and news coverage.
In July, we will be sending each county artwork for billboards. District communications specialists are on hand to advise counties on how to secure funds and work with local outdoor advertising companies.
During the first week of August, we will distribute packets to all counties. These will include media/marketing suggestions, fill-in-the-blank news releases and radio PSAs, artwork for print ads, cable TV ads and paycheck/ utility bill inserts and pre-written columns. Again, communication specialists are ready to assist county agents in using these materials.
At the end of August, communication specialists/urban IPM agents will hand-carry a 30-second animated PSA to TV stations. We will mail county offices and people on the fire ant project distribution list a VHS copy of the PSA to show at their events/meetings.
We are revamping the fire ant Web site (http://fireant.tamu.edu) into an interesting resource for the public. The site will be promoted on all media materials.
Showing progress/impacts
We are planning a news conference in Austin on Sept. 14. Representatives from each organization will report on progress that has been made during the past year.
Each organization involved in the project will produce materials showing the progress made on their projects. Agricultural Communications will write and distribute news, video, and radio stories showcasing different projects.
Start planning now!
Our goal is to get some sort of media coverage (newspaper, TV, radio, billboards) about fire ants in all quarantined counties. Here are some things you may need to start doing now to ensure this happens in your county.
Get neighborhoods/towns to hold some sort of event during awareness week. Start recruiting volunteers and sponsors to make event happen. Some ideas: encourage communities to hold a block party, where everyone treats their lawns for fire ants in the early evening and then get together for barbecue or a street dance. Or have a tailgate party on Friday before the high school football game -- people who show proof of recently treating lawns get a free barbecue dinner, sponsored by a local caterer.
Work with local home and garden retailers to see if they'll help sponsor space for billboards and for newspaper, radio and TV ads (which Ag Communications is creating). Also see if they will provide space for educational fact sheets (order from Bart Drees). These retailers could also sponsor educational demonstrations, provide discounts on treatment products during the week, or insert educational flyers in customers' bags.
See if utility companies, banks, companies, etc. would be interested in including an insert about managing fire ants (Agricultural Communications to provide artwork) into their bills and paychecks or in their employee or customer newsletters.
Get on the meeting agendas of local organizations, such as the Jaycees,
Kiwanis, Lions Club, homeowner associations, gardening clubs, etc. to talk
about fire ant management.
Herd GT77 Seeders for Application of Fire Ant Bait - prepared by Bastiaan M. Drees, Texas Director, Texas Imported Fire Ant Project
Conventionally-formulated insecticide bait products (e.g., Amdro®, Siege®, Logic®, Award®, Ascend®) marketed to treat populations of the red imported fire ant are applied at a rate of 1 to 1 ½ pounds of product per acre. The only applicators currently available for applying these materials to large areas using ground equipment are the Herd GT Seeders. These seeders are electrically driven using power from a standard 12 volt battery, and they can be mounted on nearly any vehicle (to be specified when ordering).
Three models of Herd GT Seeders are sold: 1) GT77 has an adjustable opening at the bottom of the hopper that allows for calibration of product flow; 2) GT77A has a fixed plate developed to apply Amdro or Siege (hydramethylnon) bait products; and, 3) GT77L has a fixed plate developed to apply Logic or Award (fenoxycarb) bait products. For the GT77A & L models, application rate is affected only by the speed driven during treatment.
Depending on the model selected and the type of mounting selected, prices range from $271 to $308 per unit. They are shipped directly from the factory via UPS. Information about these applicators can be found on the Web Site, http://www.herdseeder.com/fire-ants.html. David E. Herd, President of the Herd Seeder Company, Inc., has asked that those interested in purchasing applicators contact the manufacturer directly at:
Herd Seeder Co., Inc.
P.O. Box 448
Logansport, Indiana 46947-0448
219/753-6311
FAX: 219/722-4106
herdseeder@cqc.com
Educational programs conducted by the Texas Agricultural Extension Service serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin.