There is no perfect solution for fire ants. They always come back. In our
area, we must resort to a poison in order to keep them under control. I try
to use the least amount possible and have found that Amdro ( or any other
bait probably, I just use Amdro)which is a bait is the most effective. We
have gone so far as to broadcast it (minute amounts . . .about 1.5 lbs/acre)
over the entire area. I garden on 8 acres on Lake Murray in Newberry
County, SC. This year I just appled it around target areas. Supposedly the
ants feed on a wide area so if you put the Amdro close to the area you want
to free from ants . . .like close but NOT IN the veggie garden, the ants
should feed on he stuff and take it to their queen. The reason that baits
work most effectively is that the workers ants serve a tasters so only a
slow killing bait gets the whole thing. The down side is that the complete
kill takes two weeks.
I still have fire ant marks on my hands and feet. Those of you that do not
garden in a heavily infested fire ant area do not understand the real
torture of the bites. I know the feel of a fire ant mound under the soil
and I can fly away but they still get me. There are some in my veggie
garden. I know it. I know relatively where they are. BUT, I still get
distracted, perhaps reaching for a huge ripe tomoato or a hidden cucumber.
BAM. My foot is covered.
There is a new very expensive fire ant poison (I think it is the same
chemical that's appled to pets for fleas) that eradicates them for a full
year but it is only tested for lawns.I know all the solutions recommended by
Clemson and think the baits are the best. When you decide to apply the
bait, give it a test first by putting a little mound of it close to a fire
ant hill. The bait should disappear if the ants are feeding. If the bait
does not disappear in a short time, wait until another time for the ants
must be actively feeding for a bait to be effective since it has a short
life span once applied.
If you need more info, just e-mail me.
Libba G
a
> bucket to keep it from blowing away while you work) covered with mulch so
it
Dear Libba,
Hey neighbor! I live in Chester so I know you and I have the same (or
nearly the same) fire ants. It is the "new stuff" that I am trying. As I
said in a previous post, it is called "Over and Out".
I have used Amdro and as long as it is fresh it works splendidlyl. The
problem I have right now is that the mounds are hard if not impossible to
see. The dry weather has caused the ants to go deep. They still come up
in my flower bed though and they still bite.
I'll let you know if the "Over and Out" stuff works. It might be what I
need to get them out of my flower garden. I have no hope of eradicating
them from the whole 21 acres!
Thanks again for the tips,
Bob lakely
