Fire ants can be a major problem for anyone in the Southeast and even in other parts of the country. Any outside area including home lawns, gardens, parks, and athletic turf among others are areas that likely need to be treated for fire ants. Areas around fruits and vegetables may also require management. Many growers who have pick-your-own farms, such as strawberry, blueberry, muscadine, blackberry, and some vegetables, may need to treat to keep their customers or employees bite-free.

Treating Fire Ant Mounds

There are fire ant control products for many different area types. Many products for broadcast and mound treatment can be used on lawn areas, but only a few products are labeled for fruit and vegetable production areas. Broadcast baits are the easiest and most economical for use in larger areas because it is not necessary to locate individual mounds.

Always read bait product labels for information on application sites and proper use. It is not uncommon to see major price differences between baits, broadcasted insecticides, and individual mount treatments. To ensure a purchase of the best product for your situation, read the label before buying and calculate the cost per acre. Also, keep in mind that baits are only good for a short period of time after application.

Fire ants will travel as far necessary to find food. It is possible to treat the lawn around the garden or orchard site, just not in it, with a product labeled for lawns and still effectively manage the ants in the adjacent site. Some baits are only available in a large package size for large areas, but others are available in 1 pound containers for smaller areas. Be sure to understand what baits would work best for your situation

Broadcasting a fire ant bait at the right time will manage the mature colonies as well as the young colonies that have yet to construct a visible mound.

Proper Use of Fire Ant Bait

The baits should be applied when the ants are actively foraging. This means the baits should be applied when temperatures are between 70 and 95 degrees  F, and not before or after rain. The label will tell you the best times to apply the baits and what sites the bait can

Baiting with potato chips

legally be applied. Keep in mind that the baits are only good for a short period of time after the application, so ensure conditions are right.

An easy trick to help determine when to apply the bait is to put out some greasy potato chips around the site. Wait a few minutes and check the chips. If ants are covering them up, then that would be a good time to apply the bait. If not, the application may need to be postponed to a later time.

The best time to apply fire ant bait in problematic areas is during the spring and fall, but this can be site and weather dependent. Extension professionals typically do not recommend baiting in the spring any earlier than April. A second application can go out in September or October. Many of the baits should be applied at one pound to one and a half pounds per acre.

Proper Bait Storage

When using a fire ant bait or other pesticides, always follow the directions on the label. These baits need to be kept in a cool dry place. Only purchase the amount needed, and once opened, baits should be used immediately. The baits use an oil to attract the ants, and the oil goes bad if kept too long or stored improperly.

Baiting fire ants with a cracker

Baits become rancid when stored improperly or for too long. The flakes of bait consist of a carrier such as corn grits or ground corncob, a food attractant such as vegetable oil, and an active ingredient such as an insecticide or growth regulator.

Keep in mind that grits alone—or other home remedies—will not manage fire ants. The oil is the important ingredient that goes bad over time or when not stored properly. Purchasing bait at one store then leaving it in the hot car while shopping in a few other stores is not a good idea.

If the oil is bad, the ants will not pick up the bait. There is a way to check old bait to see if it is good, much like using the potato chip or cracker to check for foraging. Put a little bait out in a couple of places along with a potato chip. If ants come to the chip but not the bait, the bait is probably bad. If ants do not come to either one, the conditions may not be right for them to be actively foraging. In the heat of the day in the sunshine, it is best to put the bait in a shaded area. This foraging test also works great with hotdogs.

Recommendations for Baits

There are many products available to choose from, but they are not labeled for every site. Be sure to only purchase what is needed and use the product shortly after purchase. To ensure the bait is the best one for your site, read the labels before purchase, even if it is a familiar product or one listed below as labels are subject to change. See the following list for recommended baits based on sites.

• Amdro Fire Ant Bait Yard Treatment (hydramethylnon) is labeled for lawns, landscaped areas, and other places, but not for fruits, vegetables, or pastures.
• The Amdro Pro Fire Ant Bait Label has a few more sites listed.
• Extinguish Professional Fire Ant Bait (S-methoprene) is labeled for fruits, vegetables, sports turf, sod farms, golf courses, commercial nurseries, and many other sites including pastures.
• Ferti-lome Come and Get It (Spinosad), Payback Fire Ant Bait (Spinosad), and various other trade names (Spinosad) are labeled for many fruits and vegetables, as well as home lawns.
• Esteem Ant Bait (Pyriproxyfen) is labeled for ornamental nurseries, hospitals, apartment complexes, airports, roadsides, schools, museums, sport facilities, golf courses, and pastures.
• Altrevin Fire Ant Bait Insecticide (metaflumizone) can be used on grape vineyards, citrus and nut trees, and stone and pome fruit trees.
• Clinch (abamectin) is labeled for vegetables, citrus, nuts, apples, grapes, stone fruit, strawberry, and pear.
• Advion Fire Ant bait (Indoxacarb) can be used on home lawns, golf courses, athletic and recreation turf, parks and picnic areas, cemeteries, and many other sites.
• Extinguish Plus (hydramethylnon + S-methoprene) can be applied to lawns, landscaped areas, golf courses, airports, cemeteries, parks, kennels, school grounds, athletic fields, nurseries, and other sites.

For more information and resources, visit aces.edu or contact your local Extension agent.

Trade and brand names used in this article are given for information purposes only. No guarantee, endorsement, or discrimination among comparable products is intended or implied by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.