ANR-0175-A 2009 Fire Ant Control Materials for Alabama Homeowners
2009 Fire Ant Control Materials for Alabama Homeowners
Many products for the control of fire ants are now on the market. Each year new products are introduced and old
products may have new names. The products mentioned in this publication were found on the shelves of various farmers
cooperatives, hardware stores, and lawn and garden centers during a survey of 20 stores in March 2009. They are intended
for homeowners to use on lawns. Other materials may be available. Costs reflect average retail prices from the survey.
This publication is a supplement to other publications and Web sites that explain more about fire ant biology and
management. These resources can help you choose an approach to fire ant control that is low-cost, environmentally
friendly, and perhaps less frustrating than what you are doing now. The following resource is recommended: Fire Ant
Control: The Two-step Method and Other Approaches, found at www.extension.org/fire+ants.
Broadcast treatments involve applying the fire ant control chemical across the infested area. One advantage of
broadcast treatments is that new colonies may be controlled before mounds appear above the turf. Therefore, the need
for continual treatment of visible mounds may be reduced until reinfestations occur. Read the label to make sure a particular
chemical is registered for your site. Baits (Table 1) are perceived as food and picked up by the worker ants and
carried back to the nest. In contrast, broadcast granular insecticides (Table 2) work by forming a relatively long-lasting
insecticidal barrier on the soil surface. The residual control of a particular broadcast granular insecticide will depend
on how long the active ingredient persists in the environment. The label on the product may indicate how long a particular
brand may last in the environment.
| Table 1. Fire Ant Baits Designed to be Spread (Broadcast) Across the Infested Area, Arranged in Order of Cost Per Acre |
|
| Trade Name |
Cost to treat
|
Active
ingredient2 |
Number of stores |
| 1,000 sq. ft. |
1 acre1 |
|
| Baits |
| Enforcer Fire Ant Bait |
$0.25 |
$11 |
abamectin B1 |
1 |
| Extinguish Professional Fire Ant Bait |
$0.30 |
$13 |
(S)-methoprene |
1 |
| Amdro Fire Ant Bait |
$0.43 |
$19 |
hydramethylnon |
14 |
| Extinguish Plus Fire Ant Bait |
$0.49 |
$21 |
(S)-methoprene & hydramethylnon |
4 |
| Ferti-lome Come and Get It |
$1.25 |
$54 |
spinosad |
2 |
| Safer Fire Ant Control Kit3 |
$1.41 |
$61 |
spinosad |
4 |
| Ortho ecosense brand fire ant bait granules |
$1.58 |
$69 |
spinosad |
2 |
| Spectracide Fire Ant Killer Plus Preventer Bait Once & Done |
$2.57 |
$112 |
indoxacarb |
5 |
| Amdro FireStrike Fire Ant Bait4 |
$2.59 |
$113 |
(S)-methoprene & hydramethylnon |
6 |
| Amdro Fire Ant Bait Yard Treatment |
$3.25 |
$141 |
hydramethylnon |
5 |
|
1An acre is 43,560 square feet. To determine the square footage of your yard, multiply the length in feet by the width in feet.
2See Table 4 for more information about each active ingredient.
3Estimated cost of the bait protion of the kit.
4This is not the same product as Amdro FireStrike Fire Ant Bait Mound Treatment. |
| Table 2. Insecticides Designed to be Spread (Broadcast) Across the Infested Area, Arranged in Order of Cost Per Acre |
|
| Trade Name |
Cost to treat
|
Active
ingredient2 |
Number of stores |
| 1,000 sq. ft. |
1 acre1 |
|
| Granular or liquid concentrate insecticides |
| Spectracide Triazicide Once & Done Insect Killer Granuels for Lawns and Landscape2 |
$1.72 |
$75 |
gamma-cyhalothrin |
7 |
| Hi-Yield Bug Blaster II Turf, Termite, and Ornamental Insect Control (liquid concentrate) |
$2.14 |
$93 |
bifenthrin |
3 |
| Bifen I/T Insecticide/Termiticide (liquid concentrate |
$2.56 |
$112 |
bifenthrin |
1 |
| Hi-Yield Bug Blaster Turf Insect Control Granules |
$2.98 |
$130 |
bifenthrin |
1 |
| Surrender Impose Fire Ant Killer (granules) |
$2.98 |
$130 |
bifenthrin |
2 |
| Southern Ag Lawnstar Granular Insecticide |
$3.49 |
$152 |
bifenthrin |
1 |
| Ortho Max Fire Ant Killer Broadcast Granules |
$3.84 |
$167 |
bifenthrin |
8 |
| Bonide Stinger Fire Ant Killer (granules) |
$4.02 |
$175 |
bifenthrin |
1 |
| GardenTech Over ’n Out! Fire Ant Killer Broadcast Granules |
$4.20 |
$183 |
fipronil |
17 |
| Hi-Yield Imported Fire Ant Control Granules Containing Deltamethrin |
$4.47 |
$195 |
deltamethrin |
2 |
| Scotts Bonus S Max Southern Weed and Feed and Fire Ant Killer (granules) |
$5.583 |
$243 |
bifenthrin |
3 |
|
1An acre is 43,560 square feet. To determine the square footage of your yard, multiply the length in feet by the width in feet.
2See Table 4 for more information about each active ingredient.
3This cost also includes other materials, such as fertilizer and herbicide. |
Individual mound treatments alone are commonly done on turf sites of an acre or less, including lawns.
Treatments are done as infestation occurs and mounds appear. It may be necessary to treat a colony more than once.
Individual mound treatments can be used in combination with broadcast treatments, to eliminate annoying mounds
before the broadcast material has taken effect, or to eliminate colonies that the broadcast treatment may have missed.
Insecticide mound treatments include dusts, granules, baits, drenches, and injections (Table 3). Always apply insecticides
according to label directions. In the case of fire ant mound treatments, most product labels state specifically where the
dosage should be placed. Never apply more than the labeled dosage. In addition to being costly and illegal, overapplication
may simply encourage the colony to relocate a few feet away from the original mound.
| Table 3. Products Used as Individual Mound Treatments to Control Fire Ants, Arranged in Order of Cost Per 10 Mounds |
|
| Trade name (type of product)1 |
Cost to treat 10 mounds |
Active ingredient2 |
Number of stores |
|
| Eliminator Ant, Flea, & Tick KillerII Granules |
$0.12 |
bifenthrin |
2 |
| Eliminator Fire Ant Killer Plus GranulesII |
$0.17 |
bifenthrin |
1 |
| Hi-Yield Turf Ranger Insect Control Granules |
$0.35 |
deltamethrin |
2 |
| Hi-Yield Imported Fire Ant Control Granules Containing Deltamethrin |
$0.72 |
deltamethrin |
2 |
| Bengal UltraDust 2X Fire Ant Killer |
$0.73 |
deltamethrin |
12 |
| Bayer Advanced Fire Ant Killer Ready-to-Use Dust |
$0.86 |
beta-cyfluthrin |
1 |
| Eliminator Lawn Insect Killer Granules with Sevin Carbaryl Insecticide |
$1.17 |
carbaryl |
2 |
| Spectracide No-Odor Fire Ant Killer Ready-to-Use Dust |
$1.20 |
permethrin |
2 |
| Bayer Advanced Lawn Complete Insect Killer for Soil & Turf (granule) |
$1.41 |
imidacloprid &
beta-cyfluthrin |
4 |
| GardenTech Sevin Lawn Insect Granules |
$1.52 |
carbaryl |
5 |
| Southern Ag Lawnstar Granular Insecticide |
$1.87 |
bifenthrin |
1 |
| Hi-Yield Acephate Systemic Turf, Tree, and Ornamental Spray (dust,wp) |
$1.88 |
acephate |
1 |
| Surrender Fire Ant Killer (dust,wp) |
$1.92 |
acephate |
6 |
| Ortho Orthene Fire Ant Killer (dust) |
$2.15 |
acephate |
10 |
| Acephate E 75 WP (dust, wp) |
$2.22 |
acephate |
6 |
| Hi-Yield Lawn & Garden Insect Killer Granules |
$2.26 |
carbaryl |
1 |
| Davis Kill-A-Bug XV for Fire Ants, Termites, and Lawn Insects (liquid concentrate) |
$2.32 |
permethrin |
2 |
| Spectracide Fire Ant Killer Plus Preventer Bait Once & Done |
$2.49 |
indoxacarb |
5 |
| Spectracide Fire Ant Killer Granules Mound Destroyer |
$2.67 |
lambda-cyhalothrin |
9 |
| Enforcer BugMax 240 8 Month Home Pest Control (liquid concentrate) |
$2.74 |
deltamethrin |
2 |
| Hi-Yield 10% Carbaryl Garden and Pet Dust |
$2.77 |
carbaryl |
3 |
| Bayer Advanced Carpenter Ant & Termite Killer Plus Concentrate |
$2.93 |
beta-cyfluthrin |
1 |
| Hi-Yield Acephate Fire Ant Killer (dust,wp) |
$2.96 |
acephate |
4 |
| Terro Outdoor Ant Killer Plus Multi-Purpose Insect Control2 Outdoor (granule) |
$3.07 |
lambda-cyhalothrin |
6 |
| Davis Kill-A-Bug XX (liquid concentrate) |
$3.34 |
permethrin |
2 |
| Hi-Yield Bug Blaster II Turf, Termite, and Ornamental Insect Control (liquid concentrate) |
$3.44 |
bifenthrin |
3 |
| Bonide Eight Insect Control Vegetable Fruit & Flower Concentrate |
$3.55 |
permethrin |
1 |
| GardenTech Sevin Ready-To-Spray Bug Killer (liquid concentrate) |
$3.56 |
carbaryl |
6 |
| Ortho Fire Ant Killer Mound Treatment (granule) |
$3.77 |
bifenthrin |
7 |
| GardenTech Over’n Out! Fire Ant Killer Mound Treatment (bait) |
$3.82 |
indoxacarb |
4 |
| Bonide Ant Flea & Tick Killer Granules |
$3.87 |
permethrin |
0 |
| Hi-Yield Kill-A-Bug II Lawn Granules |
$3.90 |
permethrin |
3 |
| Martin's Cyonara Lawn & Garden Insect Control (liquid concentrate) |
$3.99 |
lambda-cyhalothrin |
1 |
| GardenTech Sevin Bug Killer Concentrate |
$4.09 |
carbaryl |
15 |
| Bifen I/T Insecticide/Termiticide (liquid concentrate) |
$4.10 |
bifenthrin |
1 |
| Ortho Max Fire Ant Killer Broadcast Granules |
$4.12 |
bifenthrin |
8 |
| Extinguish Professional Fire Ant Bait |
$4.13 |
(S)-methoprene |
1 |
| Howard Johnson's Fire Ant Killer (granule) |
$4.68 |
permethrin |
1 |
| Surrender Termite Killer II (liquid concentrate) |
$4.69 |
permethrin |
1 |
| Maxide RTU Fire Ant Killer Plus Granules |
$5.00 |
permethrin |
3 |
| Amdro Fire Ant Bait |
$5.46 |
hydramethylnon |
14 |
| Enforcer Fire Ant Killer Granules II |
$5.52 |
permethrin |
1 |
| Ferti-lome Come and Get It |
$5.75 |
spinosad |
2 |
| Amdro FireStrike Fire Ant Bait Mound Treatment |
$5.81 |
(S)-methoprene & hydramethylnon |
1 |
| Bayer DeltaDust |
$5.87 |
deltamethrin |
1 |
| Enforcer Fire Ant Bait |
$6.49 |
abamectin B1 |
1 |
| Extinguish Plus Fire Ant Bait |
$7.13 |
(S)-methoprene & hydramethylnon |
4 |
| Ortho ecosense brand fire ant bait granules (bait) |
$7.27 |
spinosad |
3 |
| Surrender Impose Fire Ant Killer (granule) |
$7.34 |
bifenthrin |
2 |
| Natural Guard Lawn, Plant & Pet Insect Spray (liquid concentrate) |
$7.49 |
cedar oil |
1 |
Bonide Stinger Fire Ant Killer (granule) |
$8.62 |
bifenthrin |
1 |
| Hi-Yield Indoor/Outdoor Broad Use Insecticide (liquid concentrate) |
$9.51 |
permethrin |
4 |
| Hi-Yield Garden, Pet & Livestock Insect Control (liquid concentrate) |
$9.80 |
permethrin |
2 |
| Bonide Liquid Rotenone-Pyrethrins Spray Concentrate |
$10.36 |
rotenone and pyrethrins |
1 |
| Amdro Ant Block Home Perimeter Ant Bait |
$10.90 |
hydramethylnon |
7 |
| Safer Fire Ant Control Kit (liquid concentrate) |
$13.96 |
D-limonene3 |
4 |
| Ferti-lome Borer, Bagworm, Leaf Miner, and Tent Caterpillar Spray (liquid concentrate) |
$22.40 |
spinosad |
2 |
| Hi-Yield 38 Plus Turf, Tree, and Ornamental Insect Control (liquid concentrate) |
$22.70 |
permethrin |
7 |
| Surrender Cyper WP (water soluble packet) |
$28.33 |
cypermethrin |
3 |
| Enforcer BugMax Insect Killer Concentrate (liquid concentrate) |
$89.38 |
deltamethrin |
2 |
|
1Type of product is included when it is not included in the trade name.
2See Table 4 for more information about each active ingredient.
3Estimated cost of the liquid concentrate portion of the kit. |
| Table 4. Active Ingredients Found in Fire Ant Control Materials |
|
Common name of
active ingredients |
LD501 |
Speed of control2 |
How it works |
Half life in soil3 |
|
| (S)-methoprene |
34,600 |
8 to 12 weeks |
bait, stops production of new fire ants (igr) |
|
| (S)-methoprene, hydramethylnon |
1,161 |
2 to 4 weeks |
mix of two types of baits (see (S)-methoprene and hydramethylnon) |
|
| abamectin B1 |
10 |
2 to 8 weeks |
bait, kills workers as well as queens |
|
| acephate |
945 |
1 to 2 days |
contact insecticide |
|
| beta-cyfluthrin |
77 |
1 to 2 days |
contact insecticide |
|
| bifenthrin |
54 |
1 to 2 days |
contact insecticide |
123 days |
| carbaryl |
500 |
1 to 2 days |
contact insecticide |
|
| cedar oil |
5000 |
1-2 days |
contact insecticide |
|
| cypermethrin |
250 |
1 to 2 days |
contact insecticide |
|
| D-limonene |
4450 |
1-2 days |
contact insecticide |
|
| deltamethrin |
135 |
1 to 2 days |
contact insecticide |
11 to 33 days |
| fipronil |
59 |
3 to 4 weeks |
slow-acting insecticide |
366 days |
| gamma-cyhalothrin |
56 |
1-2 days |
contact insecticide |
30 days |
| hydramethylnon |
1,131 |
2 to 4 weeks |
bait, kills workers as well as queens |
|
| imidacloprid, beta-cyfluthrin |
77 |
1 to 2 days |
mix of two contact insecticides |
|
| indoxacarb |
268 |
1 to 3 days |
bait, kills workers as well as queens |
|
| lambda-cyhalothrin |
56 |
1 to 2 days |
contact insecticide |
30 days |
| permethrin |
430 |
1 to 2 days |
contact insecticide |
|
| rotenone-pyrethrins |
370 |
1-2 days |
contact insecticide |
|
| spinosad |
3,783 |
2 to 4 weeks |
bait, kills workers as well as queens |
|
|
| 1The larger the LD50, the safer the product. The LD50 is the amount required to kill 50 percent of the population, in milligrams per kilogram of body weight, usually calculated using rats or rabbits. The LD50 listed is the lower of two values—the toxicity when eaten or contacted by the skin.
2Speed of control is only one consideration in choosing a fire ant control product. Duration of control is also important.
3The half life in soil is an indication of the residual nature of the insecticide in soil. It is listed for those products that claim to provide a residual barrier to prevent new colonies from forming.. |
Visit www.extension.org/fire+ants or www.aces.edu/dept/fireants for more information on managing fire ants.
ANR-0175-A Revised April 2009. Kathy Flanders, Extension Entomologist, Associate Professor, Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University, and Charles Hesselein, Extension Horticulturist, Ornamental Horticulture Research Center.
Use pesticides only according to the directions on the label. Follow all directions, precautions, and restrictions that are listed. Do not use pesticides on plants that are not listed on the label.
The pesticide rates in this publication are recommended only if they are registered with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries. If a registration is changed or cancelled, the rate listed here is no longer recommended. Before you apply any pesticide, fungicide or herbicide, check with your county Extension agent for the latest information.
Trade names are used only to give specific information. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System does not endorse or guarantee any product and does not recommend one product instead of another that might be similar.
For more information, contact your county Extension office. Visit http://www.aces.edu/counties or look in your telephone directory under your county's name to find contact information.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and
home economics, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, and other related
acts, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Alabama
Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn
University) offers educational programs, materials, and equal
opportunity employment to all people without regard to race, color,
national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability.
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