Aug. 16, 2007

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DALLAS – It's not too late, or too early, to set out fire-ant bait for the notorious pests, experts say. Fire Ant Awareness Week, beginning Sept. 10, is a reminder to apply insecticides for the second time this year.

Most people treat fire-ant mounds and larger infested areas in the spring, when the ants begin to emerge, said Kim Schofield, Texas Cooperative Extension program specialist for urban integrated pest management in Dallas County.

"They see them in the spring, but they don't think about treating for them in the fall," Schofield said.

But a second round of treatment in late summer and early fall can help reduce the fire ant population next spring, Schofield said. The treatment would also suppress their numbers through fall and early winter.

"They're going to be active through November," she said. "And depending upon the winter weather, they could be active longer."

To help curb fire ant proliferation, Schofield and other Extension entomologists are spreading the word that the second week in September is dedicated to fire-ant awareness. In its ninth year, the specially designated week was signed into law by former Gov. George W. Bush in 1998.

Extension publicizes the "Texas Two-Step" approach to do-it-yourself fire ant control, Schofield said. Both steps employ baits, which are sold in most hardware and gardening stores.

Step one: Broadcast fire-ant bait over an entire yard, using a hand-held seed spreader. Use this approach when a yard has five or more fire-ant mounds, Schofield said. Mounds vary in appearance by species, but fire-ant mounds have no entrance or exit holes.

Step two: Apply bait to individual mounds, particularly those next to building foundations and high-traffic areas, Schofield said. This approach might be best for yards that have fewer than five mounds.

Before buying bait, Schofield suggests reading labels carefully to determine whether the product works on fire ants. Labels also include information on quantities that should be used.

During either step, apply the bait after 7 p.m. when the temperature begins to cool, Schofield said. The ants hide from the heat and sun during the day, but they forage at night. Avoid moisture, which diminishes the baits' quality.

"You're competing with other food sources out there," she said. "You want the fire ants to think that your bait is the best food to eat."

The ants carry the bait back to the mound, Schofield said. There, it is eaten by other ants, including the queen, and they are eventually killed by slow-acting insecticide.

Residents of neighborhoods with widespread infestation might consider banding together, Schofield said.

"The best way to decrease the population is by picking a date and spreading the bait all at the same time," she said.