I thought this might be of interest to those of you with fire ants. As you
might guess, fire ants are a major concern in South Carolina. Clemson is
diligently working to improve the situation.
I personally apply the bait over our entire acreage . . . in VERY small
amounts. 10 pounds covers my entire 8 acres, minus my veggie garden. But
since the bait attracts the ants, it appears to draw them out of the garden.
For that reason, I wait for a good hot day and apply the bait to the area
AROUND the garden before I do the entire yard a week later.
I really have no option with fire ants. Two of my grands are severely
allergic. We do not treat the llama pasture . . . they seem to avoid the
hills with no problems.
Think I will have to wait for Fipronil to come down considerably in price
before I consider it . . . on areas not close to the lake.
Libba
Hi, Folks,
I'm sure most of you have seen the ads on TV for Over N Out fire
ant control. Bob Bellinger sent out the message (below all this I
am sending you) that you may find useful. If you'd like to see the
labels of the various products e-mail me and I'll forward them to you.
Over N Out contains fipronil, which is the same ingredient used in
some of the flea and tick treatments for pets. A few notes on Over
N Out:
- After application it must be watered in with 1-1/2" to 2" of water.
Tim suggested that the best time to apply Over N Out would be in
Jan/Feb to let the rain do this for you. The water is required to
release and distribute the fipronil into the soil.
- This product works wonders where it is applied, but only where
applied. If you apply it to your lawn it will not give any protection
for flower beds - there is little if any lateral movement and no
surrounding protection. (I believe it's only labeled for lawns now.)
In tests at Sandhill REC in Columbia they have seen an acre with
more than 300 mounds reduced to 1 mound for over a year.
Amazing control, but again only where it's applied.
- It's expensive. The $20 bag with 10 lbs in it covers 5,000 square
feet. 1 acre would require 87 lbs, or 9 bags costing around $180
each year. Compare this to broadcasting Amdro at 1 to 1.5 lbs per
acre twice a year for a total of $20 to $30 per acre each year. Over
N Out will give fantastic control where applied, but Amdro will
control nearby areas where not applied. You'll still have a mound
crop up once in a while with Amdro, you won't with Over N Out.
- As far as I can tell Over N Out is meant for broadcast only and
not as a spot treatment. It is highly toxic to fish - if you have fie
ants near a pond or stream apply Amdro in that area, and even
then not right up to the bank. Remember that fire ants forage up to
100 feet away or more, so applying Amdro near but not close to
the pond or stream will handle the problem. Read the label for
cautions regarding water. Also, Amdro is the best choice for fire
ants near a well (the active ingredient in a 1 lb can weighs about as
much as a dime).
If you'd like try Over N Out by all means do so - it is a fantastic
product for fire ant control. Just be aware that it must be watered
in to work properly.
If you plan to use Amdro, remember that the soil temperature
needs to be 70 to 95 degrees for the ants to forage. Broadcast 1
to 1-1/2 lbs per acre twice each year - once in late April/early May
and once in August. Before broadcasting place a small amount
near a mound and leave it for 30 minutes. Check it after this time -
if a good amount is gone it's time to broadcast - the ants are
foraging. If not wait until they are working. You *must* use fresh
amdro for this - remember that Amdro is soy oil based. Amdro
becomes rancid to fire ants 6 hours after application, so be sure to
apply in time for them to get it. Don't use last year's can of Amdro
for broadcast - buy a new one for that.
Hope this helps.
Bryan
From: Bob Bellinger
Subject: Fipronil products for fire ant control
Fipronil products to control Red Imported Fire Ant
A number of folks have been asking about three fipronil products to control
Red Imported Fire Ant. Tim Davis graciously provided, and asked me to send
out, copies of specimen (facimile) labels of three products that can be
used as product use references.
I am sending what he provided. I am also including quotes from the labels
to help clarify their intended use. Please note the buffer requirements for
use near water for these products, and drift prevention requirements on at
least one of the products.
If you have any questions on any of these labels - after you thoroughly
read them - I suggest you contact Tim Davis (TDvs@clemson.edu)
They are:
- Firestar; fire ant bait (Chipco Professional Products (Aventis)). "For
use on home lawns, golf course and commercial and recreational turf and sod
farms" "Chipco Firestar fire ant bait is intended for use to control fire
ants in turfgrass." [PDF format requires Acrobat Reader]
- TopChoice, insecticide. (Chipco Professional Products (Aventis)). "Only
for sale to, use, and storage by professional applicators." "For use on
turfgrass and landscape beds." The primary purpose of this product is for
fire ant control." [PDF requirement requires Acrobat Reader]
- Over'n Out Fire Ant Killer Granules. (Aventis). "For outdoor use on home
lawns" "For use on domestic turf." "Over'n Out Fire Ant Killer Granules
controls imported fire ants in residential lawns. To control other insect
pests that may be present such as mole crickets, fleas, ticks and chinch
bugs you may use Sevin?? brand Granular Carbaryl Insecticide." [Microsoft
Word format]
The Firestar and TopChoice specimen labels are also available at the CDMS
site
( http://www.cdms.net/manuf/manuf.asp ). I could not locate a label on-line
for Over'n Out.
Bob Bellinger
CU Entomology
=====================================================
W. Bryan Smith
Area Extension Agent - Agricultural Engineer
Clemson Extension Service
P.O. Box 160, Newberry, South Carolina 29108 USA
Office: 803.276.1091 FAX: 803.276.1095
E-mail: wsmth@clemson.edu
"Do not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character.'"
(1 Corinthians 15:33)
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