Identifying fire ants and their mounds
Fire ants are small insects. They range in size from 1/16 to 1/5 of an inch long and are dark red and brown. A fire ant mound can be identified by its dome-shaped, soil-based structure that forms the upper most part of a fire ant colony. Their mounds can reach up to 12 inches or more in diameter and height and are usually found where water is nearby and the soil is damp.

Fire ants are hard workers and compile loose soil and other contents in the surrounding area to build their mounds. Mounds are typically visible in yards as soil granules form a “mound” shape, but are small and often hidden in grasses, weeds, under rocks and other landscaping. Mounds can pop up almost anywhere, but common places to watch for them include: Lawns and ornamental planting areas, patios, sidewalks, curbs, flower beds, compost piles, under trees and around electrical equipment. Be sure to keep an eye for fire ant mounds when you are enjoying parks, on golf courses, sports fields and any other places you, your kids or pets may walk through or play in.

Two-Step Method
There are two common approaches for effectively controlling fire ants — broadcast treatments and mound treatments. For large yards and early season prevention, use a broadcast treatment, such as Over ‘n Out Fire Ant Killer or AMDRO FireStrike to treat the entire yard. For smaller areas when visible mounds are present, use a mound treatment such as AMDRO Fire Ant Bait directly around individual mounds.

For the most comprehensive control, especially in the case of severe infestation, experts recommend a Two-Step Method using both broadcast and mound treatment. First use a broadcast spreader to treat your entire lawn. Then, treat particularly stubborn mounds you see with AMDRO Fire Ant Bait to eliminate fire ant activity in as little as one week.

It is an ant’s nature to pick up food and bring it into the colony to feed to the queen and other ants. Ants believe that bait and AMDRO Fire Ant Bait are food. You feed the worker ants and they in turn, feed the queens. As the bait works, it destroys the colony.

Quite the opposite, but with the same results, fire ants unknowingly pick up Over ‘n Out Fire Ant Killer on their bodies, carry it back to the mound, and distribute it to other colony members including the queen. Fire ants ingest it or absorb it through the cuticle, killing them and destroying the colony.

By using both a mound treatment and a broadcast treatment together, you achieve season-long control.

Neighborhood programs
The best way for homeowners to prevent fire ant infestations is to coordinate treatment with neighbors. A coordinated effort among neighbors maximizes the treated area, making it harder for fire ants to find a place to re-colonize. A neighborhood Two-Step Method is the most effective way to control and prevent fire ants for season-long control.

Studies show that areas with diligent neighborhood fire ant control programs, where multiple homeowners treat their lawns at the same time with the same fire ant control product, can reduce the number of active mounds by as much as 96 percent.

Treating fire ant stings
Fire ants bite and then inflict painful stings, which cause small blisters or pustules on the skin, typically up to 24 to 48 hours later. If you, your child, or your pet is stung by fire ants, it is important to follow first aid guidelines and to seek medical attention immediately if there is any suspicion of an allergic reaction. Allergic reactions include severe swelling, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, headaches and sweating.

If blisters occur, make sure they are clean and avoid any action that might further irritate the area, such as scratching or rubbing. Rinse the sting area with cold water and gentle soap to avoid infection and elevate the affected area of the body. You can use a cool compress or ice to reduce swelling and alleviate pain and itching.

Summer is the season to enjoy the outdoors. Now is the time to educate yourself and family on fire ants. Being able to identify fire ants and their mounds, proper treatments and handling stings are all extremely important to avoid fire ant infestation. Take time to educate yourself and family and enjoy a fire ant-free season.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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1. Take Steps in Spring to Combat Fire Ants

Fire ants, an unfortunately common pest in about 15 states, are both a nuisance and a health risk. Taking up residence in yards, sidewalks, playgrounds, and electricity boxes, fire ants are most active during the spring season. With warm, humid air and occasional rain showers, a welcoming environment for fire ants is created.

Spring is the perfect opportunity for fire ants to begin working on their mounds. During this time, winged fire ants begin the task of starting new colonies and foragers start doing some work near the surface of the soil. Ants are out looking for food and traveling from yard to yard — so now is the best time to stop these pests in their tracks.

“It is extremely important to treat before the fire ants divide into new colonies,” says Neal Denton, extension agent and county director with the University of Tennessee. “In order to do so, you must get to them early in the spring before they are first waking up.”

Building mounds in areas where humans come in frequent, direct contact with them, fire ants are a threat to families, children and pets. The best way to combat fire ants is to use a broadcast treatment over your entire yard. Broadcast treatments, such as Over ‘n Out Fire Ant Killer, eliminate mounds and ants that can’t be seen. This method is a sure-fire way to gain control and the treatment creates a fire ant-free zone in as little as three weeks.

The broadcast treatment can be distributed by a spreader across the whole yard. Once the Over ‘n Out Fire Ant Killer has been administered, control of fire ants lasts all year long, with results visible in as few as three days.

For homeowners looking to go the extra mile and stamp out fire ants in an entire neighborhood, collaboration between neighbors is essential for a continued and concurrent effort to treat for fire ants.

“Neighborhood programs are extremely valuable in controlling fire ants,” says Denton. “To stop fire ants from spreading from one yard to the next, an entire neighborhood can work together and use a broadcast treatment that is more effective than treating a spot here and there.”

Studies have shown that areas with diligent neighborhood programs, where multiple homeowners treat their property at the same time with the same treatment, can reduce the number of active mounds by as much as 96 percent. Neighborhood programs are a proven method to prevent fire ant infestations, making communities safer for everyone. But for many fire ant experts, lapses in successful neighborhood suppression programs are as irritating as a fire ant sting.

“There are a number of benefits to neighborhood programs,” says Tim Davis, fire ant
suppression specialist with Clemson (S.C.) University. “The larger the treated area, the longer the dormant period lasts. A coordinated effort between neighbors makes the treated areas bigger, making it harder for fire ants to re-colonize.”

For more information about fire ants visit www.FireAntFree.com or the FireRANT! blog at http://blog.TheFireRant.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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