Fire Ants in McDowell County?
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Collapse ▲Recently, our office has received numerous calls from landowners reporting fire ant sightings on their property. The red imported fire ant has been confirmed to inhabit 75 out of 100 North Carolina counties. However, McDowell County has been considered to be one of the few fortunate counties to be fire ant-free. With North Carolina’s favorable climate conditions, it was just a matter of time before they would become an issue here as the red imported fire ant continues to spread across the state.
Adult red imported fire ants are reddish to dark brown and occur in five forms: (1) minor workers, about 1⁄8 inch long; (2) major workers, about 1⁄4 inch long; (3) winged males and (4) males, each about 1⁄3 inch long; and (5) queens, about 1⁄3 inch long. Fire ant mounds vary in size but are usually in direct proportion to the size of the colony. For example, a mound that is 2 feet in diameter and 18 inches high may contain about 100,000 workers, several hundred winged adults, and one queen.
There are two basic approaches to chemical control of fire ants: an insecticide can be applied to individual mounds or it can be broadcast over a wide area that is infested with fire ant colonies. Individual mound treatments are often more environmentally and ecologically acceptable because they use less insecticide and limit the amount of area treated as compared to broadcast treatments. This approach also reduces the impact on non-target insects ground-dwelling insects (including other ant species). Regardless of the method used, the objective is to kill not only the workers but also the queen because she is the only ant in the colony that is capable of laying eggs. Always follow the label directions when applying any fire ant insecticide. Individual mounds may be treated with a liquid or dust insecticide formulation or with an insecticidal bait. Best control results are usually obtained in spring and fall when temperatures are between 70 and 85°F. A highly effective (but requiring more effort) is the “two-step method.” Place the bait out around a mound. Wait about 5-7 days. Then, apply a mound drench which should kill the remaining workers more quickly.
There are some non-chemical methods available that can be used against fire ants; however, they may be limited in their effectiveness (or may be ineffective). Hot water (near-boiling) and mechanical disruption have been used in many instances. Results of some preliminary evaluations have shown that these treatments will kill large numbers of ants; however, smaller satellite mounds formed by surviving ants frequently appear around the original mound. Thus, these methods can have a useful, but temporary impact on fire ant colonies in areas where pesticides of any type are considered unacceptable.
If you suspect fire ants have invaded your property, please contact our office at 828-652-8104 for information on fire ant insecticides and baits appropriate for use by the general public.
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