Fire Ant Control in Pastures

 

Fire ants are pretty well established here in North Carolina and some of them like to call your pasture or hayfield home. Whether you are dealing with one mound or a hundred mounds in some cases, you need to know what to do for control.

Fire ants can negatively impact your equine or hay operation and cost you time and money. Impact may be felt through:

• Lost Labor Animal Injury Equipment
• Damage/Wear
• Hay Production
• Medical/Veterinary Costs
• Forage Degradation
• Electrical Equipment Damage
• Infested Feed
• Reduced Feeding
• Young Animal Endangerment

There are a few pesticides labeled for fire ant control in a pasture or hayfield situation. Some are for directly treating the mound and others are for broadcasting an infested area where there are a lot of mounds. There are also some pesticides that are for use only in horse pastures (where horses are not used for human consumption) and non-pasture farm areas. As always, please read the label and follow restrictions and directions for using in pasture. Here is a list of pesticides for use in pastures:

• Amdro Pro – For mound or broadcast
• Amdro – Horse or non-pasture areas only
• Extinguish – For mound or broadcast
• Extinguish Plus – Horse or non-pasture areas only
• Esteem Ant Bait – For mound or broadcast
• Award – Horse or non-pasture areas only
• Sevin SL – For mound drench only
• Advion – Horse or non-pasture areas only

Here are a few tips to help increase your success when applying a pesticide to control fire ants:

Do not apply baits and drench at the same time.

Allow 7-10 days between the two application. Ants will not forage and accept bait while they are disrupted by poison.

The best months to treat are mid-spring and fall. The best time of day to treat is mid-morning when air temperatures are around 70 degrees F.

To check and see if fire ants are active, place potato chips or cheese puffs on the ground. If ants are noticed within 5-10 minutes then they are considered active and foraging.

Additional tips when applying baits:

Do not apply if ground is wet or rain occurs within 36 hours. Do not store open product for longer than package allows– most products have a short shelf life. Do not store baits near other pesticides or fuel from which they may absorb odors and taste. Do not apply baits directly on top of the mound, fire ants do not come and go from the top of the mound. Do not disturb mounds when applying baits, this can interfere with their foraging behavior.

Remember, always read the label and follow directions! Some products may require you to reapply! You cannot get rid of fire ants overnight, just like anything else it will take time. Formulate a plan and stick to it so you can reclaim your pasture back.

To view the original publication and for more information please see the publication Fire Ants in Pastures.

 

Written by: Lauren Langley, Livestock Extension Agent | Source: S. B. Bambara & Wes Watson, NC State Extension Entomologists

Video Resources:

Equine Law Webinar Series

 

N.C. Cooperative Extension, Alamance and Chatham County Centers are proud to present the Equine Law Webinar Series with guest speaker, R.L. Adams from Carolina Equine Law. This webinar series was designed with horse owners and equine businesses in mind.

Through this free webinar series, you will learn about several important topics including equine contracts, liability, and insurance. These topics are important if you are considering leasing, boarding, hosting groups/events, giving lessons, etc.

Each webinar will take place from 7–8 p.m. EST on the following dates:

November 4, 2021: Equine Contracts 101

November 16, 2021: Equine Liability & Insurance

Pre-Registration Required: http://go.ncsu.edu/equinelaw21

 

About Zoom (Online Platform Being Used):

This webinar series will be delivered through Zoom, which is an online video communications platform that is free for users. You can download the free app to your phone or you can join by computer. If you cannot join by smartphone or computer, you can call in and listen from any phone.

Once registered, you will be provided with the information needed to join the webinar session.

Questions? Contact Lauren Langley at 336-266-0702 or lauren_langley@ncsu.edu or Kristina Britt at 919-542-8242 or kristina_britt@ncsu.edu.

Biosecurity: What Is It and Why Is It Important

Have you ever thought about how diseases are spread and how to prevent that? This is the basis for biosecurity, which refers to what people do to keep diseases, and viruses, and bacteria, and funguses, and parasites, and other disease-causing microorganisms, away from their animals, farm, and people. The information below is from the Equine Disease Communication Center which is powered by US Equestrian and the American Association of Equine Practitioners. As you read through the information and resources think about how you can improve biosecurity for your horses! 

What is Biosecurity?

Biosecurity is any procedure or measure designed to protect the population against harmful biological or biochemical substances (source). In the equine industry, biosecurity refers to the precautions we take to limit the spread of disease when working with horses. These preventative measures are vital to maintaining the health of all horses regardless of their occupation, whether they be a companion animal, a working horse, or a show animal. Even the smallest precautions can help to keep horses safe from infectious diseases. 

Prevention is Key

Best practices in disease prevention include a combination of following a vaccination plan and taking simple, but important, biosecurity measures in your barn, while traveling, at events, and when caring for your horse. Suggested biosecurity protocols differ depending on the situation and location. Listed below are some general biosecurity resources. Take a look at the biosecurity subpages which provide resources that are specific to common situations and locations to help you keep your horse safe, happy, and healthy at all times.

• USEF Biosecurity Video
• Biosecurity Toolkit for Equine Events
• Breeding Operations
• Disinfection
• Events
• Facilities
• Isolation and Quarantine
• Racetracks
• Travel

Here are a few things that everyone can do to help prevent the spread of disease:

1. Optimize Resistance to Disease.
   1. Vaccinate. The first step to prevention is to keep your horse on a vaccination program that takes into account his/her job (pleasure horse, show animal, working animal, companion), general health status (age, history of illness, etc), amount of travel, and location (some regions pose more risk of disease than others). This vaccination program should be discussed and implemented with your veterinarian.
   2. Reduce Stress. Stress can compromise the horse’s immune systems and make him more susceptible to infection. Happy horses are more likely to be healthy horses.
   3. Optimize Nutrition. Adequate nutrition keeps your horse strong and healthy and gives him the tools he needs to fight off possible infections. 
2. Reduce Exposure.
   1. Practice Biosecurity. Use all of our resources to determine what aspects of your horse’s daily life put him at risk for disease and establish a plan for reducing those risks.
   2. Limit horse-to-horse and horse-to-human interaction. This one is easier said than done given the gregarious nature of the horse but is vital to horse health. Horses and humans can be carriers for the pathogens that cause disease. Establish groups of horses on your facility to reduce intermingling and encourage all humans to avoid interacting with multiple animals without disinfecting between contact.

How are diseases transmitted?

 

Additional Resources for General Biosecurity

AAEP Biosecurity Guidelines, AAEP

Biosecurity Tips for Horse Owners, USDA/APHIS

Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity (video), The Horse

Protect Your Horse from Infectious Diseases (Poster), Equine Guelph

Biosecurity for Horse Owners- Information Sheet- Equine Guelph