Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Fire Ants Out Again In Full Force

Tis the season to fight fire ants, but there's nothing fun about it.

Fire ants were accidentally introduced to the United States from South America about 70 years ago.

The first documented infestation occurred in Mobile, AL, where they arrived by ship. In Arkansas, they were first noticed in ElDorado in 1958.

Now these pests infest most of the southern part of the state and have been seen in the northern reaches as well.

The problem is the fire ants can build their mounds practically anywhere.

When these mounds are disturbed, the ants swarm out and prepare to attack anything nearby. They inject a toxin into the system of their victim and enough of them stinging one person can cause a fatal reaction.

More often, their stings, which are painful, produce a small pustule, or white bump, on the victim within eight to 24 hours.

No sure-fire way of controlling these pests has been found as yet, though there are several reasonably effective products on the market to help fight them.

For some reason, fire ants seem to be attracted to electrical fields. Their appearance around electrical equipment can result in short circuits and damage to equipment.

According to information from the University of Arkansas's Division of Agriculture, a two-step method is suggested with high mound density. This means more than 20 mounds on an acre of ground.

Step one is a broadcast bait insecticide spread over the infested area on an annual or semiannual basis.

The second step should occur a few days later with the individual mounds being treated with approved insecticidal dusts, liquid drenches, baits, granules, aerosols or a nonchemical treatment, such as pouring hot water on the mound.

Most fire ant baits are insecticides with a fire ant food to help attract them. Fire ants tend to favor processed corn grits coated with soybean oil.

The baits are taken into the colony and distributed. It is important the insecticide reaches the colony's queen and kills her.

There are two main types of fire ant treatments  insect growth regulators and actual toxins.

The toxins prevent the ants from being able to convert food to energy and eventually kill the pests. However, this type of bait tends to last from one to five weeks after the treatment.

The growth regulators prevent the queen from giving birth and producing new workers.

The growth regulators tend to work slower, but also last up to a year.

When applying a bait to a mound, it is important the mound not be disturbed. It is best to apply the bait when the ground and grass are dry and rain is not expected within 24 hours.

It's also a good idea to apply the bait when the ants are actively foraging for food.

But, remember, the ants are less active during periods of cold weather, when the temperature is below 70, and hot weather, 95 or above.

For those preferring nonchemical method and want to use hot water, this type of treatment can eliminate up to 60 percent of mounds treated.

However, the boiling water can be hazardous to other plants and grass, but is also a danger to the person carrying it.

Braver souls can simply dig the mounds up and shovel them into a bucket. If this is done, remember to sprinkle talcum powder on the shovel first. Don't forget to put the powder on the shovel handle, bucket handle and interior of the bucket. This will prevent the ants from walking up the handles and attacking the digger.

Another "home remedy" has been to use gasoline and other petroleum products. This is not recommended.

While this does kill fire ant colonies, it also utilizes a flammable material, kills grass and plants, while polluting the soil.

Fire ants do have natural enemies, other than man. Dragonflies, other ants, birds, lizards, spiders and toads are attracted to newly-mated fire ant queens.

Ant-eating animals such as armadillos may disturb a mound and eat some of the workers, but don't actually control fire ants.There is hope the ants' natural enemies from South America can be imported and introduced to North America to help combat the pests.

The imported fire ant closely resembles the southern fire ant, a native to Arkansas.

The imported fire ant mounds are larger than their cousins' and differ in construction.

A fertile queen finds a suitable mound site, sheds her wings and lays a cluster of 10 to 15 eggs.

She looks after the larvae until workers are raised. These workers than take care of the colony an the queen continues laying eggs.

However, the number of eggs laid increases to clusters of 75-125. A well developed colony can grow to 100,000 or more ants.

The eggs hatch in to larvae then change into pupae in six to 12 days. Adults emerge after nine to 16 days in the pupae stage. Winged forms of the fire ants take longer to develop.

Fire ant queens can live up to six years, and only have the function of producing more young.

One of the biggest problems is a newly established colony can go unnoticed for up to 18 months.

The mounds are more prevalent in open areas exposed to sunlight, but will also be built against stumps, shrubs, posts and against buildings.

Left alone the mounds can grow to three feet in height.

Total eradication of imported fire ants is an impossibility at this time.

This is because of the large area the ants have already infested; the small area that can effectively be treated with pesticides; the short life span of the pesticides; and the rapid recolonization of the ants in the treated area.

One of the few effective methods of combating these pests is to introduce a population of native ants into the imported fire ant's environment. This will result in an "ant war" and slow the invasion of the imported ants.