Control In Pastures, Hayfields, and Barnyards
Granular fire ant baits are the best way to control fire ants in pastures and hayfields, but it is important to be sure the bait you buy is approved for use around grazing animals.
Fire ant baits are applied at very low rates, usually one to two pounds per acre. Some companies make spreaders that are specially designed to apply these low rates over large acreage. Depending on the level of control desired, the annual cost of controlling fire ants in a pasture or hay field can range from around $10 to $50 per acre.
See Extension Publication 2493, Control Fire Ants in Pastures, Hayfields, and Barnyards for recommended bait treatments and details on use. Read the section on Fire Ant Biology to learn more about how baits work.
Shipping Hay from Mississippi to Fire Any-Free Areas: All Mississippi counties are infested with imported fire ants and baled hay and straw must be certified as being free of fire ants before it can be shipped to uninfected areas. See the Imported Quarantine Map.
Before shipping hay or straw outside of the Imported Fire Ant Quarantine zone, contact the Mississippi Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Plant Industry to arrange for inspection(s) and certification. Also see Extension Publication 2733, Imported Fire Ant-Free Hay Certification in Mississippi.
Contact information for Dr. Blake Layton.
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If you want fewer fire ant beds in your yard, the best way to achieve that goal is to maintain a consistent management plan throughout the year.
This is the time of year to start a good fire ant management plan that can reduce the number of beds in your yard by 80 to 90 percent.
Even if you preventatively treat your yard periodically through the year for fire ants, you’ll still see mounds pop up.
There are two ways to treat these mounds: liquid drenches and dry powders. (File photo by MSU Extension Service.)
Fire ant mounds always pop up right where you don’t need them – in the flower bed you planned to weed tomorrow, next to the mailbox that needs to be reset, and near the patio where you are throwing a party tonight. (Photo by Brian Utley/Cindy Callahan)
Fire ants are everywhere. If you’ve thrown your hands up in exasperation trying to deal with them, don’t give up just yet. (File photo by MSU Extension Service)
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