The Only Way to Kill Fire Ants? Read This

The key to removing fire ants from your yard is killing the queen. A healthy queen will lay up to 800 eggs a day. Fire ant baits are the only method that will directly target the queen. The key to using baits is patience. If you use a bait product and apply it properly, a broadcast application should give 80% to 95% control.

Fire ant bait application tips:

• Make sure the bait is fresh (less than a year old).

• Apply when ants are foraging for food (when temperatures are 65 to 90 degrees F).

• Apply when there is no chance for rain for at least four hours.

• Always read and follow label directions.

Choose a bait based on three factors:

1. cost

2. speed (how quickly you want fire ant control)

3. duration (how long you want to wait between bait applications).

Active ingredient determines how a fire ant bait works:

• Some baits contain an insecticide that kills all ants that ingest a sufficient dose, including the workers and the queen.

• Other baits contain a synthetic insect hormone called an IGR (insect growth regulator) that reduces the production of viable eggs and redirects larval development to prevent productionof new worker ants. IGR's do not directly kill the queen or the adult workers

How they work

• Fire ant workers quickly pick up the bait, moving the active ingredient into the fire ant colony and away from other organisms. Fire ant baits, when applied as directed, pose minimal risk to the environment because they contain such a small amount of active ingredient.

• The ants extract the toxicant-laden oil and feed it to other members of the colony. Because the active ingredient is relatively slow acting, there is ample time for the material to be fed to the queen.

• Baits are the most effective method to keep the queen from reproducing. Baits also effectively treat mounds not large enough to be seen.