by Lisa Lennon & Dr. Paul Nester
Extension Agents - I.P.M - Fire Ant Project
Texas Agricultural Extension Service

Photo: Scott Bauer

Fire ants love the springtime - they like the warm humid air, the moist soil in planting beds and turfgrass, and conditions in the compost pile. Spring is the ideal time for imported fire ants to begin working their mounds and causing problems for homeowners. The past dry winter kept fire ants deep in the ground, and the mildness of the winter means a minimal reduction in their numbers.

Fire ants like to nest in open, sunny yards that are mowed and watered regularly. They will nest in vegetable gardens for the adequate moisture supply, in newly planted tree rings, in sidewalk cracks and next to building foundations. During the spring and fall, fire ants become very active - the queen can produce up to 800 eggs per day!

Imported fire ants travel from yard to yard, easily dispersing due to periodic mating flights. Also, colony movement readily occurs during this time. Most of our mounds have multiple queens, and may be spread over larger areas than we actually see. Just sprinkling a product over the top of the mound may not control the whole colony.

Spring is a particularly good time to begin an organized fire ant management program. Homeowners will continue the battle and expense of attempting to control these pests unless a coordinated effort is recognized. There are many communities and neighborhoods across Texas working together to successfully manage fire ants. These neighborhood-wide treatments are safer for the environment because less pesticide is actually used to gain control of the ants.

Take the time to educate yourself to the extent of your fire ant problem. Are there just a couple of mounds in the yard? Have you seen other types of ants in the yard? Or, do you feel that fire ants have taken over? The best way to control the imported fire ant is to follow a management plan developed for your home. If there are native competitor ants present and fewer than four or five fire ant mounds per average 1/4-acre yard, maybe an individual mound treatment approach is best. This method helps protect populations of native ants and allows them to better compete with fire ants.

Six ant species known to attack red imported fire ant workers, brood and queen or compete for food are the southern fire ant, little black ant, Pharaoh ant, bigheaded ant, pavement ant and tramp ant. Some of these native and exotic “desirable” competitor ant species may be the ultimate key to our fight against the red imported fire ant. More information on surveying your yard for native ant activity can be found in the Ant Fact Sheet #7, Survey-Based Management of Red Imported Fire Ants, available on the web site http://fireant.tamu.edu. Try monitoring your lawn for the presence of these native competitor ants and identify the type of imported fire ant problem you have to help select one of the following programs.

Check the fire ant web site. Information found there can help assess the problem and find the solution. For example, the “Two-Step Method of Fire Ant Control” is an excellent tool for homeowners to use for heavily infested areas, and is exceptional when organized with your neighbors.

For additional information on the Community-wide program, contact Lisa Lennon or Dr. Paul Nester with the Texas Agricultural Extension Service. They are avaialble to discuss the program with Homeowner Associations or Neighborhood Groups.

Extension programs serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability, or national origin.