Ant hill?

[Bird]

Hard to eradicate...I would say completely impossible, all one can hope for is a stalemate if one keeps treating the mounds.

Yep, it's been awhile since I read up on Texas A&M's two pronged approach, but basically what they recommended was a bait broadcast on an entire area once or twice a year (I used Logic at the rate of about one pound per acre), then treat individual mounds with a liquid insecticide when they're found (I used to use Diazinon). Now Malathion is my preference. It would appear that I'd have them completely eliminated until the next good rain. After every substantial rain, I'd find about 3 or 4 new mounds per acre and treat each with a gallon of water with an ounce and a half to two ounces of liquid insecticide.

I also read that, by the time a mound surfaces and you see it, it's home to 300,000 fire ants already, and then it grows from there.

 

[Podunkadunk]

In Agriculture class (F.F.A. in High School) I remember the teacher telling us that fire ants are extremely territorial and that they would fight to the death.

I've done this (basically just for fun and my strong hate toward them), but you can take a shovel scoop full off of one mound, kick the top off of the other mound and drop the scoop full of ants on the other mound.

Come back in a day and you'll see thousands of dead ants atop the mound.

It doesn't kill them all, but it sure is fun doing a biological control experiment. I've been stung many, many times by them. They are carnivorous, meat eaters and down here in the south, you constantly have to be aware of where you are standing when outside. Sometimes the nest isn't a formed mound and you can't see them until they "blow the whistle" and attack all at once.

You have to kill the queen before the mound will die. Most of the time, failed attempts to kill them will only result in the mound 10 feet or more away from the previous spot.

Podunk

 

[dmccarty]

Richard,

When we bought our land I did not see any fire ants. I kept hearing they were in some counties to our south and heading our way... Last year we had fireants and they are pretty much all over the place. I think I used an Andro to kill them. It took two applications but it worked.

Fireants are vicious so be careful with them if they are fireants. They really hurt.

If they are growing pot be careful. Growers have been known to booby trap the plantings, bear traps, explosives, hanging fish hooks on fishing lines, so watch out.

Dense plantings are easy see from the air but easier for the grower to keep up and harvest. Planting here and there is harder to work but harder to see. But the plants can still be seen.

Later,
Dan

 

[Richard]

Dan,

Thanks for the thoughts on my potential farmer friends I went up there other day & looked around. For the life of me I didn't see a thing. Then again, I've never seen a growing pot plant. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen (in person) even a leaf of pot.

The only thing so far that has my mind open that it may exist is the absurdity of finding a bag of topsoil (or potting?) laying nearby. I KNOW it didn't use to be there and there is NO good reason FOR it to be there... therefore, I've got to keep a reasonable conclusion in mind (pot). They sure ain't planting Petunias.

If I find anything like that, I'll give the Sheriff a buzz and let him setup his sting operation.

 

[Podunkadunk]

Dan,

Thanks for the thoughts on my potential farmer friends I went up there other day & looked around. For the life of me I didn't see a thing. Then again, I've never seen a growing pot plant. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen (in person) even a leaf of pot.

Richard,
I don't fool with the stuff either and darn sure don't want any dopeheads using my property as their dope farm. I was reluctant to post this picture, didn't want anyone to think I was a stoner or condoned it's illegal usage. That's not the case, like I said, I don't fool with the stuff. I found this picture out on the 'net. If you have it growing on your property, you need to know what it looks like so you can identify it and call authorities.

MODS: This is for illustrative purposes only!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Podunk

 

[tallyho8]

Richard,
I don't fool with the stuff either and darn sure don't want any dopeheads using my property as their dope farm. I was reluctant to post this picture, didn't want anyone to think I was a stoner or condoned it's illegal usage. That's not the case, like I said, I don't fool with the stuff. I found this picture out on the 'net. If you have it growing on your property, you need to know what it looks like so you can identify it and call authorities.
MODS: This is for illustrative purposes only!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Podunk
View attachment 77176

So that's what Granny has been growing in her garden. Now we know why she is always smiling.

 

[Richard]

Podunkadunk... that's for posting that... I of course was busy sniffing the picture on my monitor when my wife walked in... certainly an awkward moment...

 

[Richard]

Oh, and I might add that is NOT what I thought it looked like. Not that I had a clear idea but to me, that looks like... well, I REALLY WAS going to say this so I'm not trying to be cute... to me that looks like weeds.

sigh... no pun intended

 

[RedRocker]

Are you sure it was soil in the baggie??

 

[MicroPilot]

Are you sure it was soil in the baggie??

I had to LOL at this!

Also be aware that the picture is of some fairly mature plants. Seedlings will only have one or two clusters of leaves maybe 1" or 2" across. If they planted them that way or as seeds I would think a smart gardener would have cleared the weeds away so as to not choke out the weeds. A smart gardener would also probably have planted them well away from their quad tracks to minimize chance of discovery.