Sorry, folks, but if Amdro, Dursban, Sevin Dust, or any other chemical pesticide was going to be able to put the quiteus on the fire ant, those little critters would be on the endangered species list about twenty years ago!
But they're not, and the reason for that is that chemical warfare simply does not work against them! What all the use of chemicals HAS managed to accomplish is to impede, remove or eradicate the 'natural' enemies of the fire ant. I use the term 'natural' in the sense that, since the fire ant is not native to the Southeastern United States, there are some enemies that it has acquired since its arrival.
The main 'adapted' enemy that the fire ant has acquired is simply the common [b]red ant.[/b]
Red ants are voracious predators of the fire ant, and a cupful of red ants placed on a fire ant mound will shortly reduce the mound to zip. Problem - Amdro, Dursban, Sevin Dust et al., has reduced the red ant population to a mere percentage of its former numbers.
Horned lizards (or 'horny toads' as kids in Texas [u]used[/u] to call them) are also a fearsome predator of fireants, or should I say 'were' as fearsome predator, because the same chemicals used in fruitless attempts to eradicate fireants have taken such a heavy toll on native horny toads that that species is all but extinct East of Interstate 35 in Texas.
As anyone who grew up in Texas can agree, there were such numbers of horny toads thirty years ago, that it was almost impossible to be out of doors in the summer without seeing them in your yard, or running across the streets.
There were always squished horny toads on the highways. You could count on seeing them at least one per mile, on the roads. Not any more! The only thing that's changed is the
unrelieved use of chemicals in the war against the fireant.
It's time to move on to biological warfare! The introduction of red ants could be accomplished only with the cessation of the use of chemical pesticides. Use only natural pesticides, such as:
*diatomaceous earth (or 'DE', but [u]not[/u] the swimming pool variety, use only the untreated horticulture DE found in organic nurseries)
*orange oil or any citric oil
*compost tea
*dry molassus
*dry seaweed
*beneficial nematodes (microscopic unsegmented worms)
The DE is a white powder composed of the exoskeletons of diatoms (think, small sea shells) that lived millions of years ago. These exoskeletons are extremely sharp and will cut the exoskeletons of fireants, causing them to leak their body fluids uncontrollably, and die!
BTW, DE can also be used in pet and human foods to 'cleanse' digestive tracts. In fact, most organic nurseries sell a product called 'the Missing Link' which is a food additive for humans. Most natural dog foods contain DE.
The orange and citric oils are useful since they help dissolve the fireants' exoskeletons and cause slow and painful death! Payback time!
Try the natural approach to biological war on fireants. It's helped me immensely in getting rid of pests at home and farm.
Eric The('SonOfAggie,ClassOf'49')Hun[>]:)]