it is good. After a slight diversion due to environmental conditions, I went back to stinging, biting insects. Writing local columns is a good thing, I can write about Lowcountry questions. As things develop, I’m sure the next article about Noctuids.
Believe it or not… Fire ants are very easy to kill and manage! You will not eradicate them; however, you can manage them. There are many products on the market that can kill fire ants. If you need a large area of ​​treatment, some products will be more economical, other products are good at killing fire ants, and other products can kill other insects and fire ants.
If you have a large area (16 acres or more), the bait product is very economical (less than $15 per acre) and effective. If you have a small area, you can treat an acre of land for less than $25. Based on the rainfall this summer and fall, if you find activity, you may have to retreat after six months. Some bait products are designed to kill fire ants and other ants in the yard (carpenter, Argentine ant).
Once the soil surface temperature reaches 70 degrees, it is best to spread the bait throughout the area. You also want to keep the bait dry for 24 hours, so pay attention to the forecast. The ants must actively forage to pick up the bait. You can determine this by throwing some greasy potato chips or some kind of bait on the ground, and then come back within 10 minutes to an hour and a half to see if the ants have taken the bait or chips. The advantage of bait products is that it is low-cost and effective.
Products containing bifenthrin (Bug Blaster) can also keep you in control of ants for a long time. With Bug Blaster, you don’t have to worry about rain or whether the ants are foraging. Dr. Tim Davis pointed out that it takes at least eight months for him to receive bifenthrin treatment. Bifenthrin products are best applied to the entire yard. The biggest advantage of Bug Blaster is that it can kill not only fire ants, but also noctuids, turf worms, fleas, chi insects, tick insects (L disease), moles.
There are many options on the market. The biggest decision is to determine which product meets your needs. Extinguish Plus and Advion Fire Ant Bait are my two favorite bait products. Bug Blaster is a good contact product. Please note that I only recommend treating the entire yard instead of chasing them with mound treatment (stinky, white powder).
After the heat is dry, fire ants can be tricky and invisible because their mound is underground. Don’t be fooled! They still bite!
Does your lawn area look like a place where someone is cutting grass with a dull lawnmower blade running at half speed? Are there any bitten marks on your grass blades? Do you have armyworms or turf networms? Bug Blaster will get them too.
You can get in touch with Bill Lamson-Scribner at Possum’s Landscape and Pest Control Supplies Department within a week. Possum’s address is located in the following three locations: 481 Long Point Road (971-9601) on Mount Pleasant, 3325 Business Circle (760-2600) in North Charleston or 606 Dupont Road in Charleston (766-1511) ). Bring your question to the location of Possum, or visit possumsupply.com. You can also ask the “Garden Clinic” questions from noon on Saturday to 1 pm on the 1250 WTMA (Great Talker).