Doing My Own Fire Ant Treatment

[Tractor Seabee]

Ron I see your in Washington STate so I think the imported fire ants we had are a different critter.

Ants are ants. We have several varieties; fortunately no Fire type. Have not found an ant DE won't eradicate. Works on slugs and snails also.

Ron

 

[3Ts]

Ants are ants. We have several varieties; fortunately no Fire type. Have not found an ant DE won't eradicate. Works on slugs and snails also.

Ants are ants - Except when they are the imported fire ants. The imported fire ants really are something else! I'd even go so far as making a special category of bug for them in the scientific naming convention. There is a Texas native fire ant and I'd put them in with your comment of Ants are ants, but imported fire ant - you'll have to experience them to understand why us in the south have a "special" relationship with the imported fire ant.

 

[Cat_Driver]

Here's what I use
Amdro® 100099058 Fire Ant Killer Bait,

AMDRO Fire Ant Bait

I tried it on a sample ant hill. I sprinkled a cut ull around the anthill and came back the next day and saw hundreds of dead ants that were carried out by the still living ants at the time.
This stuff is taken back to the queen and they feed her so she dies once she's gone the rest die off and are not replaced.

 

[Overtaxed]

Extinguish Plus is amazing on fire ants. I had 100's of mounds across my property, it was a disaster area when I got here with the fire ants. I bought a 50 lb bag and spread 25lbs across about 50 acres using an ATV spreader, it killed them all. And that was ~2 years ago, I haven't seen a single one since then. I still have the 25lbs and I'll spread it this year regardless (it might be bad by now).

Anyway, in answer to your question, I spread it from an UTV with 2 people, me in the back using a hitch mounted spreader and someone else driving. I'd open it the SLIGHTEST bit and just watch it closely to make sure it was feeding correctly. And have the driver go REALLY fast. I think I spread at 30MPH to try to cover 50 acres with 25lbs. Whatever, right way or not, but it worked like an atom bomb. They were all dead within 2 weeks. And they still are, going on years later.

 

[dieselscout80]

Well I finally spread my Esteem fire ant bait using my Herd ATV-77 spreader at a rate of 2 pounds per acre.

The Herd ATV-77 spreader I got had a 3 point mount on it and has a vibrating agitator that keeps the bait flowing and it worked great. :thumbsup: I was able to drive at five miles per hour over most of the place except for the wooded area in one pasture.

I will say that my suspension seat on the tractor got a workout.

I hope to be able to get a ATV/UTV in the future , but I can see using the tractor for a couple of years.

Also in the future I need to wire a plug with a switch on the tractor/ATV/UTV, rather than just clamps (from old battery charger) connected to the battery.

 

[dieselscout80]

Well, I spread fireant bait again and it worked great.

I was wondering what is the earliest that a guy can put it out?

I had only seen it done in in April and May around here mostly, but my neighbor had his spread in early March or late February this year (before COVID19 forsure). He has a company do it and has had the same outfit do it for years with good results.

 

[oosik]

I have black ants, red/black ants and the tiny piss ants. I shake a light band of Diazinon around the house once per year. And treat any mound that might appear in the lawn around the house.

 

[RickB]

Ron I see your in Washington STate so I think the imported fire ants we had are a different critter.

But the pestilence known as Tractor Supply is the same wherever you go.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

I was wondering what is the earliest that a guy can put it out?

It depends on your temperatures. The ants must be active for the bait to work. During summer, they are usually most active in early morning and late afternoon.

The best way to tell if they are active is to put out some food near the mounds and go check it about 15 minutes after you put it out. If they are all over the food, you can go ahead and treat. Potato chips or hot dogs work good for this.

Most baits use some sort of oily food as an attractant. Such as cooking oil (as in potato chips). The baits can go bad if not used in time. The oil will get rancid and they may not work as well.

 

[Alien]

My daughter leads a Fire Ant team for the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and they do it year round. No talk of it being seasonal here in Queensland. No such thing as snow here.