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:

Managing Fire Ants in Pastures

By Eileen Coite

County Extension Director, Sampson County

Unfortunately, fire ants have found a home in most of our southeastern pastures.  With the mild temperatures of spring and recent rains, they will be mounding up, so to speak, in the weeks to come.  There are so many ways fire ants cause us problems, from damage to equipment, reduction in forage production, and of course possible pain and injury.  Unfortunately, there is no simple solution to the fire ant problem.  Management of these pests depends on the concentration of the mounds and locations.  Of the products labeled for use in pastures, some are chemicals that treat the mound and will kill the ants, while others are insect growth regulators that can be broadcast across a pasture and will focus on making the queen of the colony sterile, eventually removing the colony. 

What products can be used?  Amdro Pro (hydramethylnon), Extinguish (methoprene), Extinguish Plus (methoprene+hydramethylnon), Esteem (pyriproxyfen), Award (fenoxycarb) Logic (fenoxycarb), Sevin 80WSP, XLR Plus, and SL (carbaryl).   Some of these products are recommended for mound treatment, some for broadcast, some both.   Sevin is sprecifically used as a drench treatment.  Some of the products are insect growth regulators (IGRs) that will cause the queen to become sterile, causing reproduction to cease and thus controlling the colony. IGRs are methoprene, pyriproxyfen and fenoxycarb.  

Timing and proper product application is the key to treating for fire ants. The best time to treat is mid-spring and fall, and mid-morning when air temperatures are around 70 degrees F.  It is also important to NOT treat if the ground is wet, or if rain is expected within the next 36 hours.  Once the bait gets wet, the ants won’t be interested in taking it into the mound.  It is also recommended to check for ant activity or “foraging” by placing potato chips or cheese puffs on the ground near the mound.  If ants appear on the snacks within 30 minutes, then the colony is active and foraging.

Some other key tips to remember:

-       Do not store products past the expiration date.  They will lose attractiveness to the ants and become ineffective.

-       Do not store near other pesticides or fuels.  They may absorb odors and affect taste for the ants, becoming ineffective.

-       Do not apply directly on mounds.  Ants do not travel on the top of the mound. 

-       Do not disturb the mound when treating.  This will upset the ants and disrupt their normal foraging behavior.

-       Do not re-apply baits within ten days of applying a direct poison, as there will be no ant activity during this time.

-       Always apply and re-apply when needed, as suggested on the label.  

For more information or a copy of fire ant management extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension Center, or visit the following article: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/red-imported-fire-ant-in-north-carolina 

The use of brand names and any mention or listing of commercial products or services in this article does not imply endorsement by North Carolina State University nor discrimination against similar products or services not mentioned.