Doing My Own Fire Ant Treatment

[dieselscout80]

I'm thinking of doing my own fire ant treatment this year we have 14 acres.

I'm planning to use Extinguishｮ Plus and I want to treat the place twice once in the spring when the soil temps are at 60ｰ and again say in August.

I think the 25lb bags of Extinguishｮ Plus will work (1.5lb per acre x14 = 21 lbs). I know you are supposed to use it all up in one season as it goes rancid and then the ants don't eat it.

How should I spread it?

I don't think my tractor cone spreader (pto driven/3pt mounted) will work to spread 1.5lbs per acre?

I am not at all apposed to using a hand spreader as I have seeded clover that way.

 

[buickanddeere]

What happens to every other critter ? Fire ant queens can fly in days after the treatment and start a colony.

 

[dieselscout80]

I guess those are the next guy's problem.

From what I understand the workers take the bait back to the mound and then the queen eats the bait and then the rest die with no reproducing going on.

 

[Redbug]

I would think that you could mix your ant bait with sand and put that in your cone spreader. It would be easier to cover a lot of ground and have more control over dispersion that way. I have spread centipede grass seed that way.

 

[atsah]

From what I understand the workers take the bait back to the mound and then the queen eats the bait and then the rest die with no reproducing going on.

That's the way it works here for carpenter ant's, I put traps down and the workers bring it back to the nest, a couple of weeks later, no more ant's..

 

[EddieWalker]

Fire ants are most active in the morning and the evening. They are also very active right after it rains. For best results, spread when they are active.

Odd that anybody would be against killing fire-ants, and invasive species from South America that is devastating numerous species here in the US.

 

[dieselscout80]

I would think that you could mix your ant bait with sand and put that in your cone spreader. It would be easier to cover a lot of ground and have more control over dispersion that way. I have spread centipede grass seed that way.

How would I make sure I got it mixed evenly?

 

[atsah]

Odd that anybody would be against killing fire-ants, and invasive species from South America that is devastating numerous species here in the US.

Anyone against non native species being eradicated probably lives somewhere where there are none..

 

[oosik]

I use granular Diazinon. Sure put my ants down. But then, I don't have fire ants. I only use it on ant hills within the yard. Outside the yard - they are on their own.

 

[HillStreet]

Mix thoroughly and use a small bag of perlite to indicate mix. Do a test drive first with a known quantity of sand to set the speed of application. Google “pesticide applicator math” and you should find useful information. Do you have a small tractor to tow a broadcast spreader? That might be best, but again calibrate speed.

 

[dieselscout80]

Mix thoroughly and use a small bag of perlite to indicate mix. Do a test drive first with a known quantity of sand to set the speed of application. Google “pesticide applicator math” and you should find useful information. Do you have a small tractor to tow a broadcast spreader? That might be best, but again calibrate speed.

Thanks

No I have a IH 424 it’s about 37 PTO horsepower.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

I treat athletic fields for ant often and I have been a certified commercial applicator for over 35 years.

When using baits at labeled rates, I suggest you apply with a 'shaker can'. You could take a quart jar and punch some holes in the lid and shake out the bait. For 14 acres, I would suggest you do this on an atv or utv.

You can spread a row about every 10 to 20 ft apart. Ants will travel about 30 feet to forage for food.

And, as someone suggested, treat when they are active. Put out a potato chip or a hot dog wiener and go check it in about 30 minutes. If there are ants on it, go ahead and treat. They are usually active in the morning and late afternoons. Not so much in the middle of the day, especially if it is really hot.

I think it would be very difficult to mix a bait with sand or anything else and get the rate right.

Another option would be to use some of the other products that are available besides baits. If you have some kind of spreader, there are products available that can be applied at 100 lbs per acre. It's much easier to apply 100 lbs per acre with a large spreader than trying to apply 1.5 lbs per acre with a large spreader.

Any product containing the active ingredient 'Bifenthrin' is very effective on ants and also will control many other insects, even mosquitoes. But, bifenthrin is a contact killer and has very little residual. In other word, it kills what it hits and then it's gone. And, for ants, it's best to apply bifenthrin just before a rain, so that the insecticide is carried down into the ground for a better kill.

Another product would be anything with the active ingredient 'Fipronil' This is very effective for fire ants, and last longer in the soil and will keep fire ants out for much longer. However, it is more expensive than bifenthrin and is very specific to only a few insects. It won't kill many bugs other than fire ants and a few others.

No matter what you do, always read and follow the label on any product you use.

The key to fire ant control is to treat as big of an area as you can. They will slowly move back into the treated area from the untreated areas.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Not familiar with fire ants, we don't have them YET! We have others though. Do fire ants have above ground nests? I always treat their home base; gets more quicker. Diamateceous (spelling) Earth is cheap and works great. It is benign to animals; only kills those ground insects. Works on slugs and snails also. Cover their mound or around their underground tunnel openings. Also cover their trails so they carry it into the nest.

Ron

 

[Redbug]

Mix thoroughly and use a small bag of perlite to indicate mix. Do a test drive first with a known quantity of sand to set the speed of application. Google “pesticide applicator math” and you should find useful information. Do you have a small tractor to tow a broadcast spreader? That might be best, but again calibrate speed.

Perlite is an idea I never thought of. About mixing, I had done it with a roll around cement mixer, (heavy plastic container with a screw on lid...from Lowe's), to mix the tiny seed with sand. Did it multiple times till I ran out of seed.

 

[thepumpguysc]

THANK YOU CompleteLawnCare.. Very specific.. I live in SC where a mount will cover you, if u stand in 1 place long enough.. Lol.
I have a neighbor who DOESNT TREAT.. & my yard looks like the 18 hole at Augusta National.. most times.
But his looks like a moto-cross track..w/ hills & jumps.. Lol
I just use a broad cast handheld crank spreader.. & walk the 2 acres.. it works good. NOT so good for the 14 the OP is asking about tho.
OH, & BE CAREFUL w/ the ORTHO powder!! DO NOT apply on a windy day.. ask me how I know..

 

[EddieWalker]

I think the 25lb bags of Extinguishｮ Plus will work (1.5lb per acre

I'll be interested to see if you can spread this so thin. I've done lime and I've done fertilizer at a ton per acre, and I found it very hard to spread out a full ton of material over an acre.

 

[Bird]

I used Logic Fire Ant killer at 1 pound per acre when we lived down in Navarro County; got it at the farm chemical store. Of course I was only doing the 3 acres around the house, shop, and barn; not in the pasture. So I just used a little hand held broadcast spreader.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Easy-Han...=sem&msclkid=7b5dfa8190d51daef7e6a6f66a418a6c

 

[3Ts]

I think it would be very difficult to mix a bait with sand or anything else and get the rate right.

+1 I think you would have stratification with the vibration from the application with the lightest material on top, you may need to remix part of the way thru. Also, if you can find a filler that is the same density as the bait, I think it would work better.

 

[dieselscout80]

One thing I have to account for is that the pastures surround our pond and mostly drain into it.

The growth inhibitors don’t affect the fish in the pond.

 

[dieselscout80]

I'll be interested to see if you can spread this so thin. I've done lime and I've done fertilizer at a ton per acre, and I found it very hard to spread out a full ton of material over an acre.

I finally found a spreader rated for fire ant bait.

FIMCO Dry Material Spreaders

They are variabile speed and can spread plus 45’ wide.

I have not purchased one yet but finding one has been a chore.