News You Can Use
Knock out fire ants with a one-two punch
University Relations
News Bureau (662) 325-3442
Contact: Kenneth Billings
June 10, 2008
STARKVILLE, Miss.—While Mississippi summers offer abundant sunlight and countless opportunities for outdoor activities, most residents know the rising temperatures also mark the dominant season of that loathed Southern pest: the fire ant.
The miniscule red nuisance, whose distinctive mounds are found in nearly every part of the state, packs a vicious—and, in some cases, life-threatening—sting for unfortunate individuals stumbling across its path.
"While fire ants are not native to Mississippi, they have become well-established and are a tremendous problem in many areas," ssys Mississippi State University entomologist Blake Layton. "You can find them just about anywhere there is open ground, because they love to nest in open, sunny, grassy areas.
Layton adds, "And, yards are ideal."
While admittedly tough to combat and perceived as nearly impossible to control, Layton says a simple one-two punch by homeowners can bring relief if the steps are closely followed. The simple process includes:
- Broadcasting any of the commercial granular baits over the entire yard at a rate of about one to two pounds per acre. Though slower acting than individual mound treatments, they can provide about an 80 percent control factor.
- Applying a liquid or dry treatment two days later to all visible mounds to quick-kill a large number of their migrating residents.