By Shala Watson
Multimedia Writer
Fire ants are a growing nuisance across Texas in urban, agricultural and wildlife areas. The mild winter and increased moisture this spring have compounded the problem as populations seem to grow.
As the fiery pests march across farms and ranches, they cause damage to equipment, feed and hay and harm livestock.
Fire ants are of biggest concern during spring when new livestock are hitting the ground, according to Tracy Tomascik, Texas Farm Bureau associate director of Commodity and Regulatory Activities.
Ranchers should monitor their livestock closely during calving season to reduce the threat of injury or death.
Young animals in general are also more susceptible to fire ant bites and injuries because of their lack of mobility.
“They’ll get into their eyes, into their mouth, into the really soft tissues, vital organs and can cause blindness quite routinely,” Tomascik said. “If calves or lambs aren’t able to get up and move from those areas quick enough, then the stress that comes with blindness or injury from the large number of fire ants could be detrimental to the animal.”
Fire ant mounds can also interfere with farm operations, causing additional wear and tear on equipment and costing time. Some mounds can reach more than a foot tall and cause damage to blades on hay cutters and mowers.
Loss of feed can also be a concern as fire ants seek refuge in grains and square and round hay bales.
Tomascik noted farmers and ranchers should pay close attention to round bales and even hay stored in a barn.
The pests can also be found making their home in electrical sockets.
Before applying fire ant treatments to fields, landowners should determine the highest priority areas to treat. Large acreage may not be economical to treat.
Fire ant treatments can cost between $10-$15 an acre, according to Dr. Michael E. Merchant, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service professor and Extension urban entomologist. But mound to mound treatments are more expensive. He said if you only have a few mounds, it’s economical and effective to treat fire ants this way.
Mound treatments may be more feasible than broadcast treatments for smaller areas like water pump boxes, electrical equipment, houses and barns, Merchant added.
“If they have a problem with a really bad infestation of ants, the primary thing they can do is a pasture treatment in some form of an approved pesticide to push back the population,” Tomascik said. “If it’s in the more vulnerable stages of production during calving or lambing, move those animals away from those infested areas as best you can.”
Ranchers can also set aside a calving pasture and treat that specific area.
Broadcast treatments are the most economical and environmentally friendly way to manage fire ants on larger areas, Merchant said.
He recommends using broadcast treatments in areas like East Texas, where fire ants are well entrenched and for larger pastures.
Livestock do not have to be removed from the area if a bait is labeled for use in pastures and hayfields, according to Dr. Kathy Flanders, Extension entomologist and professor at Auburn University. She said the active ingredients in baits are used in very low doses that are far below what a grazing animal would be exposed to.
The best time of the year to apply fire ant treatments is between May and September. Applications can be made throughout the daytime hours during the spring when temperatures are relatively cool. But during the summer and as soil temperatures rise above 90-95 degrees, it’s more effective to apply a bait in the evening, according to Merchant.
Tomascik recommends farmers and ranchers reach out to their local Extension agent to discuss fire ant treatment options or visit http://fireant.tamu.edu to research fire ants and control options.
The ants pictured with this article look more like native red ants. If so, why would you confuse folks into targeting the wrong kind of ants?
J R Sheehy
Shala Watson, I found your article informative, but your picture is a red ant bed and not the same as the fire ants which you should have shown regarding this article. They till the soil and live relative to the top of the ground in mounds. Red ants bit and sting and you can get several on you at one time, but fire ants swarm quickly and bit instantly if you disturb the nest. Sometimes they go unseen until you walk on them or bump up against them with a mower or toys. Most of your article is correct, most people know about fire ants but showing the proper ant and nest is important, too. I live in Midland County, TX and we have several kinds of ants here, the red ants, then a darker bigger red ant, then the small sugar ants and so on. I do not bother my red ants, kill what comes in the house and use vinegar and soda on fire ant nest as it is pretty safe for the ground water and rain run off.
We inadvertently used the wrong image and have updated the image to correctly reflect a fire ant mound. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
Interesting story…but that doesn’t look like Fire Ants in the photo
We inadvertently used the wrong image and have updated the image to correctly reflect a fire ant mound. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
The picture of the ants above look a whole lot like “red ants” and the hole is the entrance to their nest. The fire ants I know about make a mound not a hole in the ground as an entrance to their nest. Am I incorrect about this picture?
We inadvertently used the wrong image and have updated the image to correctly reflect a fire ant mound. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
Those are not fire ants in the picture.
The ants in the picture above look a lot like “red ants”. The hole to their nest is usually open like this one.
All of the “fire ants” I have seen have a mound with numerous tiny entrances to their nest.
Am I incorrect here?
Please double check your picture. I believe the ants pictured are Red Harvester Ants and not Red Imported Fire Ants. People need to respect the Harvester Ants and not kill then believing they are Red Imported Fire Ants.
We inadvertently used the wrong image and have updated the image to correctly reflect a fire ant mound. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
Unless I’m mistaken, that appears to be a picture of a red ant mound, not a fire ant mound. Red ants are actually beneficial enemies of red ants.
Whatever bait is used, DO NOT apply until 3-4 days after a heavy rain. Ants are busy rebuilding nests, but will scavenge anything after this period. During warm months, morning is best I’ve found for Amdro sprinkled around a mound or lightly broadcast in a heavily infested area. Less is best, as they treat like gold and take directly to the multiple queens in the mounds.
The picture looks like Red Harvester Ants, not the fire ant.
We inadvertently used the wrong image and have updated the image to correctly reflect a fire ant mound. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
The image with this article is of harvester ants, which need to be protected. Very misleading!
We inadvertently used the wrong image and have updated the image to correctly reflect a fire ant mound. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
Admittedly, it has been a while since I took an entomology course but your lead photo does not look like fire ants to me. Were those supposed to be fire ants?
Please note: We have updated the image to correctly reflect a fire ant mound. We apologize for any confusion. Thanks for reading!
I have tried to treat the mounds with ant bait and then I began dragging the mounds down with a box blade and scattering them over the pasture. In (3) months no rekindling of the mounds that were scattered. It appears to be working..
Interesting concept. I can only surmise that it works by spreading the ants, queens and eggs far enough to disrupt the whole cycle and the queens die without workers to feed them. Have you found a best time to do this? Seems like dry, warm/hot around mid day when ants, eggs and queens are at the top most of the mound. Discing might do the same in plowed fields.
Thx for the tip, will try it.
It really works on the taller beds. I just let the blade down continuous and let the dirt work it’s way out. The dirt will work better when it is dry enough to work its way out of the box. It is hard to say if disking would accomplish the same results……… I would say no.