What's New

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What's New with Fire Ants
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Native Fire Ants

• Southern fire ant Solenopsis xyloni

Tropical fire ant Solenopsis geminata
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Fire ants
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Distribution
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Monogyne vs. Polygyne
Monogyne -Single queen colonies -40 mounds/acre

• Polygyne
• -Multiple queen colonies
• -250 mounds/acre
• -Workers are smaller
• -Workers less aggressive to other workers

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Establishing New Mounds
-Winged reproductives

• -Mated females establish new mounds
• -Absorb wing muscles to produce eggs
• -Feed initially on eggs
• -One dozen eggs
• -Eventually 800-1000 eggs/day

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Caste System

• Winged reproductives
• Small heads, black bodies
• Red-brown females
• One or more queens
• Workers
• Foragers
• Nurse ants

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Caste system (slide 2)
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Fire Ant Sizes
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Mound Structure

• Regulate the environment
• Access to water
• Access to food

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Worker Structure
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Control Options

• Quarantines
• Natural and biological
• Physical and mechanical
• Organic
• Chemical
• Eradication????

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Eradication

• Will not work
• Ants infest extensive area
• Massive resources
• Multiple colonies
• Pesticide limitations
• Chemicals never end
• Will not work

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Natural and Biological

• Weather
• Drought and winters
• Newly mated queens attacked
• Birds
• Lizards
• Predators
• Steinernema spp.

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Natural and biological (slide 2)

• Pathogens
• Thelohania
• Beauveria bassiana
• Parasites
• Solenopsis daguerri
• Pseudacton spp.
• Caenocholax fenyesi
• Other ants

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Ant Competition
Big-headed ant
Red harvester ant
Carpenter ant
Little black ant
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Physical and Mechanical
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Chemical Treatment Options

• Two-Step Method
• Individual mound treatments
• Ant Elimination Method

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What are baits?

• Baits are insecticides that contain food and a
  toxicant
• Corn grits oil insecticide
• Dont confuse baits with granular insecticides
• Granulars must be watered in
• Baits are never watered in

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Ant Elimination Method

• Broadcast a bait
• Apply a contact insecticide
• Turf areas
• Rapid kill
• Re-treat every 4-8 weeks

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Individual Mound Treatments

• Areas with few mounds
• lt20 per acre
• Better method to preserve competitive ant species
• Products
• Acephate, pyrethroids, carbaryl, organic
  products, hot water

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Two-Step Method

• Broadcast a bait
• Preferably twice/year
• Spring and fall
• Baits do not prevent re-infestation
• Wait 4 to 5 days
• Apply individual mound treatment

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Advantages of Baits

• No need to find mounds
• Long-lasting control
• 6-12 months
• Least expensive method
• Not labor intensive
• Low human toxicity
• Few environmental hazards

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Disadvantages of Baits

• Slow to work
• Weeks to months
• 80-95 control
• Expensive
• Low populations (lt10/acre)
• Works only on active ants
• Requires spreader
• Harm non-target ants

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Hydramethylnon

• Products
• Amdro
• Combat
• ProBait
• Siege Pro
• Moderate-slow
• 4-6 weeks
• 6-8 mos. residual

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Fenoxycarb

• Products
• Award
• Logic
• Slow
• 2-6 months
• 6-18 months residual

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Abamectin

• Products
• Ascend
• Varsity
• Slow
• 2-6 months
• 6-18 mos. residual

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Fipronil

• Products
• Chipco Firestar
• Over n Out
• Topchoice
• Moderate-slow
• 4-6 months
• 12 mos. residual

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Pyriproxyfen

• Products
• Distance
• Spectracide Fire Ant Bait
• Slow
• 2-6 months
• 6-18 mos. residual

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Spinosad

• Products
• Eliminator
• Justice
• Moderate-slow
• 4-6 weeks
• 6-8 mos. residual
• May be too fast in spring

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Methoprene

• Products
• Extinguish
• Slow
• 2-6 months
• 6-18 mos. residual
• Broadest label

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Cyfluthrin

• Products
• Advanced Garden
• Fast
• 3-4 days
• 4-6 weeks residual

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Deltamethrin

• Products
• DeltaDust
• Bengal UltraDust
• Fast
• 3-4 days
• 4-6 weeks residual

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Permethrin

• Products
• Real-Kill Fire Ant Killer Granules
• Spectracide Bug Stop
• Fast
• 3-4 days
• 4-6 weeks residual

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Carbaryl

• Products
• Garden Tech Sevin
• Fast
• 3-4 days
• 4-6 weeks residual

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Acephate

• Products
• Orthene
• Surrender
• Fast
• 3-4 days
• 4-6 weeks residual

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D-limonene

• Products
• Citrex
• Fast
• 1-4 days
• 4-6 weeks residual
• Organic

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Pyrethrins

• Products
• Organic Solutions
• Fast
• 1-4 days
• 4-6 weeks residual
• Organic

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Rotenone

• Products
• Bonide Rotenone
• Fast
• 1-4 days
• 4-6 weeks residual
• Organic

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Fire Ant Mounds/Acre
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Equipment
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Keys to Good Control

• More is not better
• Follow label
• Twice/year
• 1 to 1.5 lbs/acre for baits
• Foraging ants
• No rain for 24 hours
• Use fresh product
• Follow label directions