Tips for Using Fire Ant Baits
Always read the label at least twice熔nce before buying and again before treating. Follow the label directions.
Buy only as much bait as you need. Most baits contain vegetable oils, which go rancid over time, and fire ants don稚 like rancid bait.
Be sure you have the right kind of applicator to do the job.
Calibrate your applicator properly. One to two pounds per acre is not very much bait. It may look like the spreader is not putting out enough bait just a granule here and there?*ut this is probably about right! Follow the calibration directions that came with the spreader.
Try to pick a time when it is not likely to rain for a day or two after treatment. Rainfall will wash away or dissolve your costly bait. Reapply if you get significant rain within six to twelve hours of your treatment.
Wait until the grass is dry before applying the bait.
Don稚 be tempted to apply excessive rates in order to 途eally get 弾m. If you are willing to spend more money for improved control, it痴 much better to spend it on a second application later in the season!
Don稚 worry if you have a few gaps between your bait swaths. Remember, the fire ant workers are out there looking for the bait. This is one reason baits work so well.
Know what results to expect. Baits aren稚 fast, and they won稚 eliminate every mound in the area, but by one to two months after treatment, you should get around 80 percent control.
If your goal is to maintain a very high level of control around a horse barn or other sensitive area, don稚 wait until you start seeing new mounds before treating again. Apply baits preventively in spring, midsummer, and fall.
