Have a fire ant outbreak? Here are some tips

By Lane Tredway, Ph.D., technical services manager, Syngenta

As the summer season kicks off, rain and warming soil temperatures can produce outbreaks of red imported fire ants. Nothing can ruin a round of golf faster than stepping in a fire ant mound!

Mound treatments with contact insecticides are labor-intensive, only control visible mounds and do not always kill the colony. More mounds can pop up over time and require even more time and money. Why not put fire ants to work for you to provide more effective, long-term control?

Advion^® fire ant bait can help to make that happen, with the following benefits:

• Formulated with a highly attractive bait matrix to take advantage of fire ants’ aggressive, efficient foraging behavior
• Gets worker ants to do the work of carrying the bait particles into the mound and contaminating the colony’s entire food source, helping ensure rapid, complete control
• The active ingredient, indoxacarb, must be consumed and bioactivated by the ants’ internal enzymes to provide control, so it does not trigger an alarm response that can result in colony relocation, which can happen with other products 

The result is rapid, effective and long-term fire ant control with minimal labor input, allowing you to focus on other areas of your course.

For severe infestations: Advion fire ant bait can also be used as an individual mound treatment by scattering 4 tbsp. of product around the outer periphery of each mound. Following up with a broadcast application will help control colonies that aren’t yet visible and help provide long-lasting fire ant control.

Get guaranteed control with the Advion Fire Ant Bait Guarantee Program

For guaranteed season-long control of fire ants, make at least two applications of Advion fire ant bait with a broadcast spreader at 1.5 lb./A when populations are foraging. One application should be made in the spring between April and May, and the second application should be made between September and October. View the Advion Fire Ant Bait Guarantee Program for more information about application timing.

For more information about fire ant solutions from Syngenta, contact your local Syngenta territory manager.

© 2023 Syngenta. Important: Always read and follow label instructions. Some products may not be registered for sale or use in all states or counties and/or may have state-specific use requirements. Please check with your local extension service to ensure registration and proper use. Advion^® and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company.