How much rain did you get in the early hours on Sunday? James Polk’s rain gauge registered 5.3 inches. Between then and the time you read this, probably much more has fallen.
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Rains bring out fire ants.
RonTom and I travelled to Aiken SC for the national bluebird conference at the beginning of October. The imported fire ant presentation fascinated me and gave new insights.
Texas’ fire ants differ from those in the southeast. Theirs are black and have one queen per mound. As you might expect, Texas’ fire ant problem is bigger. Our fire ant mounds have more than one queen, so when humans “destroy” a mound it spreads to
several spots nearby. Each queen can live from 2-5 years and produce 1,000 eggs a day.
In order to manage the fire ant population, neighbors (or the entire city) must apply bait across acres in a concerted effort. Then, remaining mounds can be treated individually.
According to Dr. Paul Nester of TAMU, “Unless you mount a coordinated effort with your neighbors, you will continue the battle and expense of trying to control fire ants. The only way to tackle this problem is for everyone-neighborhoods, communities, and organizations-to work together.”
October is a time for treatment because fire ants are foraging, and they are out after rains. The next feasible time for application will be April and May of 2014.
Amdro ranks highest as most effective bait when used according to instructions. Spread across the property with a handheld fertilizer spreader at minimal output setting while walking very fast. It’s okay to zigzag and miss spots because fire ants will find the bait if they are foraging. To know if fire ants are foraging, put a greasy potato chip (not baked) on the ground. If fire ants find it within twenty minutes, it’s a good time to apply Amdro (unless rain is predicted in the next day or two).
The presenter emphasized that Amdro must be used according to instructions: the bait must be fresh (preferably unopened; the bait absorbs odors from the garage that make it ineffective); the mound must not be disturbed; a quantity of bait must not be placed directly on a mound; the bait must be applied lightly. (If applied according to directions, the cost per acre is less than $20.)
The Texas Two-step’s second step (after baiting) is the treatment of individual problem mounds with an approved mound drench, granule, bait or dust insecticide.
The two-step must take place once or twice a year.
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Do you have bag worms? At Beth Smith’s recent Dessert Fundraiser, Camille West showed me a video of a bag worm. It looked like a pile of little sticks crawling on the ground. Handpick the bagworms before they multiply. These will actually defoliate shrubs and trees.
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Please send tidbits before Montage dries up. [email protected] or 512 268-5678. Thanks! Love, Pauline.
