Fire ants are typically 1 to 3mm in length, with a reddish head and thorax and a black abdomen, which attack anything that disturbs their mound.
They’ll build their mounds as tall as 15 in. in open areas and under or adjacent to structures such as rocks and landscape timbers, at the bases of tree trunks, in decaying wood, etc.
Cooler temperatures prompt fire ants to raise their mounds above ground, making fall the ideal time to treat for these pests. Early fall treatments help keep fire ants from becoming a problem next spring.
Treating with baits can prevent smaller, unseen colonies from becoming larger problems later on. The most effective treatments combine an adulticide, to attack the worker ants, with an insect growth regulator (IGR), to sterilize the queen and prevent rebound.
Doug VanGundy is Senior Director of Research and Development for Zoëcon Professional Products.
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