Time for a Fall Application of Fire Ant Bait (10-21-12)

As leaves begin to fall it is good reminder that it is time for fall applications of fire ant baits to get these troublesome pest under control.   Baits are probably the most convenient and easiest method of applying insecticides for fire ants and can be very effective but to be successful they need to be applied at least once in the spring and again in the fall with an additional mid-summer treatment preferred.  Tips that will improve your success with baits include:

• Broadcast them over the entire yard not just by the mounds you see.
• Don’t over apply. The rate for most baits are only one to two pounds per acre.
• Avoid irrigating for at least two days after applying baits.
• Avoid applying baits just before rainfall.
• Use fresh bait. Ants will leave old bait that has gone rancid.
• Baits are slow-acting so you must be patient.
• Use fire ant baits preventively. Don’t wait till you see large mounds.
• Eliminate mounds the baits miss with mound treatment insecticides.

There are several excellent publications on fire ant control that can be downloaded from the extension web at www.msucares.com or found at your local extension office.

Published 10/21/12

Dr. Wayne Wells is an Extension Professor and Turfgrass Specialist. His mailing address is Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Mail Stop 9555, Mississippi State, MS 39762. wwells@ext.msstate.edu