10 acres and tons of ant mounds

[Tractor Seabee]

Diametceous earth is the answer. Comes in 50# bags at the farm store. Liberally spread over and around each mound. Renew rain and keep loose and powdery. I wiped out 10 mounds in 30 days even in our rainy weather. It also works good for slugs, snails and other creepy crawlers. Cheap and not poisonous.

Ron

 

[thepumpguysc]

I "HAD" them on a slightly smaller scale on an abandoned property..
I mixed "over & out" & "weed & feed" in a tow-behind broadcast hopper.. & covered the entire property..
It worked flawlessly for 2 years.. The plus side was the grass was green too..
& I spot treated after that..
It wasn't cheap.. read the package as far as coverage.. do the math because they give the coverage in sq/ft..
You could "stake-off" an area, say an acre or 2 & try it before spending a lot of money..
Good luck.

 

[Wakey]

I use Talstar, much cheaper than Amdro. I mix this in my backpack or handheld sprayer for the lawn and I've done spot spraying in the 20 acre pasture with the gun on my boom spray trailer.

I also spray this inside and outside of my home and the barn for pests. Works great and I like saving $.

Talstar One, Talstar P, Talstar Pro Insecticide | Free Shipping

 

[TractorGuy]

Bifen I/T works pretty good. I have taken a lazy approach and just dribble some on each mound. When it rains it dilutes it and kills the mound most of the time.

 

[Texasmark]

Years ago I had that problem. The bait I used was LOGIC. It was yellow, about the size of a grain of rice. You broadcast about 1#/acre and at $25 cost me $250 for the 10 acre application. Do not disturb anything prior to the application.

The worker ant scouts find it and take it to the queen thinking they have a real prize for her. She eats it and dies.....the mound dies once existing insects die off of old age....nothing to replace them. And doing this, not disturbing the nests keeps them from sensing an alarm and moving their queen to a remote outpost which I have seen as many as 6 from one hub nest.

It takes a couple of weeks to see any results, so leave it be and let it work.

Since that time I have kept them under control with a spot sprayer that I use, especially after a rain has brought them up to the top.

 

[Spindifferent]

Some good info here:

Don’t let fire ants ruin your summer, take steps this spring | AgriLife Today

Good luck!

 

[mcfarmall]

I'm glad we don't have fire ants in Michigan that I know of.

 

[kthompson]

Go to your ag chemical dealer, there are a few that work fine. Annual application work for me most of the year, lots of rain may need second application. The Befin requires no license, no smell and a gallon is somewhere between $60 and $80 but treats just short of three acres. There are some other chemical that require a license and been four so so year so not sure on their price. I am not sure you have to spray 100% of the ground,you may want to try sort of running a checker board pattern and see if that works for you. Something a national company told me they do. If I am spraying full coverage very seldom treat the mound also.

 

[Redlands Okie]

Neat idea on the checkerboard pattern

 

[Atchuuu]

Great ideas. Thanks to all.

Called the extension service today but left a message for the "ant man". Will update this thread when I get their expert advice.