ARTICLES :: Fire Ants

Fire Ants in your yard

By:  Melinda Sperl

Our grass is brown, the leaves are falling, there is a nip in the air and  fire ant mounds popping up in our yards.  This time of year most of our pests are inactive and it is not recommended you treat insects.  But, if you did not treat for ants earlier in the year you may have a bad problem by the spring. 

During the summer the ants are mostly under the ground where it is cool.  In the winter months they come to the surface for the warmth and can make large mounds.     

The most effective fire ant treatment is the two step method which uses a granular bait system twice per year and then treating individual mounds using a dust, granule, or drench insecticide.  Ask your landscape professional for specific brands for your area.  Bait systems work best when applied in early spring on a dry lawn and in the fall while it is still warm. Complete coverage of your lawn and following label directions are extremely important.  You can use the baits alone but you will need some patience as they will work but very slowly.

Unfortunately, it is too late in the year for baits to be effective so use a spot treatment now and have patience until early April to put out a bait product.   

Melinda Sperl is the owner of Dream Landscape Design, Inc., a full service landscape company.  You can reach Melinda at Melinda@dreamlandscapedesign.com or www.dreamlandscapedesign.com