Fire Ants

[barceranch]

Bought a place this year that the pastures have not been kept up. I'm trying to get it in shape, spraying for blackberries vines and sweetgum trees. I've got a number of fire ant mounds that I need to work on, could you all give me any suggestions to put on them.

 

[jj216]

Orthene.gasoline works but will kill the grass and it cost like h3ll now.

 

[perda04]

orange oil

grits

Diatomaceous Earth

 

[LibertyIIE]

The vegatative problems can be slowed down, but I think the fire ants are here to stay. We can make them move and thin them out, but back they come. Almost as persisent as a Mesquite tree.

 

[jersey lilly]

Yeap fire ants are here to stay, we don't treat them at all in the pasture. It's a loosin battle. And they don't cause that much problem with cattle, main problem is when your cuttin hay and run over a mound the cutter will throw them everwhere, or with a shreader, you'll end up gettin em on ya. But livin where we do, that's just one small thing we deal with.

 

[flaboy-]

Diesel but like gas it kills the grass too.

 

[Bullbuyer]

We don't have fire ants up here. Are there any natural enemies - possums, lizards, feral pigs - to these things. They sound like a real pain in the .....

 

[milesvb]

We don't have fire ants up here. Are there any natural enemies - possums, lizards, feral pigs - to these things. They sound like a real pain in the .....

There is a tiny fly that preys on the fire ant in it's native range. These flies have been released on a number of sites in Texas after a study determined they prey only on the imported fire ant. The fly lays an egg on the ant which hatches out and decapitates the ant . This threat supposedly puts colonies in enough stress that it slows them down to some degree. I guess time will tell.

 

[LibertyIIE]

What that fly does to the fire ant is way to good for the fire ant. They are a real pain in the hay patch and around pressure switches on water wells. They are attracted to any place an electric arc occurs , such as the pressure switch opening and closing.

 

[milesvb]

Some interesting links:

http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~gilbert/resea ... s/faq.html

http://www.mindfully.org/Heritage/USDA- ... -Flies.htm

http://www.livestockweekly.com/papers/0 ... reants.asp

 

[barceranch]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to respond to my question. I really do appreciate it. I've really found all of you alls knowledge very helpful to me by reading these boards.

 

[LonghornRanch]

What that fly does to the fire ant is way to good for the fire ant. They are a real pain in the hay patch and around pressure switches on water wells. They are attracted to any place an electric arc occurs , such as the pressure switch opening and closing.

I put moth balls in my electrical boxes. Cut up flea collars work also.

 

[LibertyIIE]

Have used mothballs with success, but never heard of cut up flea collars. How many mothballs does it take to cover 200 acres??

 

[Proverbs 12:10]

I know the fire ants create some problems but with the drought they have almost gone away here and we are paying the price with abundant ticks, chiggers, and crickets. I'm sorta ready for them to come back.

 

[msscamp]

I know the fire ants create some problems but with the drought they have almost gone away here and we are paying the price with abundant ticks, chiggers, and crickets. I'm sorta ready for them to come back.

There was an article in the Western Livestock Journal - I think it was - about this very thing. It doesn't sound like a good choice to me but, given my squeamishness (sp?) about ticks running about on my person, I believe I would take the fire ants! ;-)

 

[J. T.]

I know the fire ants create some problems but with the drought they have almost gone away here and we are paying the price with abundant ticks, chiggers, and crickets. I'm sorta ready for them to come back.

There was an article in the Western Livestock Journal - I think it was - about this very thing. It doesn't sound like a good choice to me but, given my squeamishness (sp?) about ticks running about on my person, I believe I would take the fire ants! ;-)

Oh, no ma'am Msscamp! You don't want fire ants. My hands and ankles are showing the signs of being outside in the South! Fire ant stings between my fingers and on my legs and ankles! Don't like ticks either. Came down with tick fever 12 years ago. That was no fun at all!

 

[msscamp]

I know the fire ants create some problems but with the drought they have almost gone away here and we are paying the price with abundant ticks, chiggers, and crickets. I'm sorta ready for them to come back.

There was an article in the Western Livestock Journal - I think it was - about this very thing. It doesn't sound like a good choice to me but, given my squeamishness (sp?) about ticks running about on my person, I believe I would take the fire ants! ;-)

Oh, no ma'am Msscamp! You don't want fire ants. My hands and ankles are showing the signs of being outside in the South! Fire ant stings between my fingers and on my legs and ankles! Don't like ticks either. Came down with tick fever 12 years ago. That was no fun at all!

We've already got fire ants, but our variety is not the imported ones you are having to deal with - thank you Lord! Dang, J. T., you have my sympathy! I've taken to wearing shorts when I'm working in the pastures whenever possible. That way I can see the little monsters before they bite me. I have no doubt that tick fever was no fun, either. I personally would prefer to not have to deal with either one, but I know that is asking to much.

 

[cypressfarms]

Down here we wait until the winter time on a very cold day (which for us is any day below freezing), and then drag the field with a large metal rail (kind of like a railroad rail). This knocks down the ant hills, killing all exposed ants. This won't completely get rid of them, but will cut back on there numbers

 

[samm]

i can remember the big red ant (not fire ant) hills on the dirt roads and pastures when i was a kid, we have one on the dirt path/road going down back in the pasture, but thats the only one i have seen in years....i wonder where they went to.

samm

 

[Proverbs 12:10]

I have read that fire ants will eat the big red ants for lunch.