Experts Warn: Treat for Fire Ants in the Fall (NAPSA)—Imported fire ants, which infest more than 300 mil- lion acres in the southern United States, are spreading at a rapid rate across the country—causing an increased need for homeowners to treat their yards at a time when the treatment will be most effective—fall. Agricultural experts recommend that homeowners treat their yards in the fall with a fire ant bait, such as AMDRO, to significantly reduce the number of mounds that appear the following spring. Dr. Charles Barr, Texas Cooperative Extension Program Specialist Fire Ant Project at Texas A&M, comments, “While spring is when public awarenessof fire ants is at its highest, fall is actually the best time to treat biologically, particularly with a product like AMDRO.” According to university research, there are four reasons that fall is an effective time to treat for fire ants: 1. Winter is approaching and extreme cold is tough on fire ants—making baits moreeffective in the fall because they weaken colonies and make them less able to respond to the challenges of winter weather. 2. Fire ants are more active in the fall than the summer because daytime temperatures return to between 70 and 85 degrees—an ideal temperature for ants to forage for food. 3. Mounds are closer to the surface. 4. Fire ants are young and colonies are smaller. Fire ant experts also recom- mendthe following steps for best results with baits, such as AMDRO, because ants carry the bait to hidden and visible mounds: Apply bait with a hand-held Treating the yard in thefall is considered the best way to preventfire ants from showing up. spreader, and broadcast over the entire yard. Since fire ant bait works as a “food,” using fresh bait from a recently opened container is most effective. Use the proper amounts of bait: 1 to 1% poundsper acre (1 pound treats a large yard three times). For best results, apply Ampkoafter the rain, but when no additional rain is forecast for at least 24 hours. Do not apply to standing water or on a soaking wet ground. Apply bait in early morning or early evening, when workerants are mostlikely to forage for food. If possible, team with your neighbors to coordinate applications—the fire ants will have no place to go if the entire neighborhood broadcasts at the sametime. Bait can be applied anytime from springto fall. Reapply bait whenever fire ants or their moundsappear. To learn more about Amprofire ant bait, visit the AMDRO Website at www.amdro.com.
