Fire Ants - Here to Stay, What You Can Do

Fire ants came out with a vengeance after the October rains. This is a typical pattern, where the ants are less active in hot dry summer conditions and begin foraging and spreading aggressively as weather cools and soil moisture rises. Fire ants cannot be eliminated, they can only be managed. Sad, but true. Queens can fly and move their colonies up to 3 miles and may do so several times a year. It is impossible to keep ants from migrating into a property. Colonies may also dig as deep as 10 feet into the ground, and 3-4 foot deep is common. Other than using bait products that workers can carry to the queens hidden deep underground, it is virtually impossible to poison an entire mound.

Call to schedule a treatment today while conditions are still optimal!

This is a great time to apply bait-type controls. The ants will be very active through the remainder of November – December,foraging for winter, and will carry baits to the queens. Baits have a minimal environmental impact and offer long term control, up to 80-90% effectiveness. The Texas Department of Agriculture’s “Texas Two Step” recommends treating individual mounds that are in problem areas with a mound treatment and to broadcast bait products throughout the entire area. The other proven method is to broadcast fipronil across the entire property or around the perimeters of larger properties to create a chemical barrier effective for up to 8 months. Ants die as they tunnel or cross through the barrier. Fipronil can also offer up to 80% effectiveness and a longer residual effect, but is also somewhat more expensive.

Fire ants are not just annoying, they are destructive and dangerous. They can inflict serious and painful injury to young children and adults who may be allergic, and are renown for colonizing outdoor electrical equipment and shorting it out.