By: Paul R. Nester and Wizzie Brown
Most often, individuals are responsible for managing fire ants on their property. Because of the limited area usually treated, re-infestation from nearby untreated areas can occur quickly. In some areas, homeowners in a subdivision or neighborhood have banded together to form a community-wide fire ant management program. Treating a larger area at one time with selected products can dramatically reduce re-infestation rates. In the Jade Oaks neighborhood in San Antonio, this approach has reduced the number of imported fire ant mounds by 98 percent, ant problems by 98 percent, pesticide applications by 75 percent, and costs by 80 percent.
Significant cost-savings may be available to groups purchasing pesticide products for their programs based on the volume purchased or from private pest control operators bidding on contracts for making applications to these larger areas.
The selection of product(s) for these programs is solely the decision of the community group designing and conducting the program. Technical support is available from the manufacturer or distributor of the insecticide(s). For more information about available products and fire ant management approaches, contact the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, or visit the Texas Imported Fire Ant Research and Management Project website, or eXtension.
A community-wide fire ant management kit should include the following:
- Managing Imported Fire Ants in Urban Areas, a publication that discusses fire ant management options and a chapter entitled, “Organizing a Community-Wide Fire Ant Suppression Program.
- Fire Ant Control: The Two-Step Method and Other Approaches, a leaflet that is also available from your local county Extension office for distribution to members of your community group
- Considerations for the Development of Community-Wide Red Imported Fire Ant Management Programs was designed to help neighborhood groups contract with a commercial pest control firm and to help private pest control operators be better able to bid into community-wide fire ant management programs
- Survey-Based Management of Red Imported Fire Ants describes biologically-based monitoring and evaluation methods for documenting the need for, and evaluating the effects of conducting a fire ant management program. The techniques described help homeowners assess the need for and the impact of their fire ant control efforts.
- Broadcast Baits for Fire Ant Control provides in-depth information on one of the less toxic, cost-effective approaches to imported fire ant suppression. Broadcast-applied bait products are central to the implementation of the TwoStep Method of fire ant control.
A community group can send the Sample Cover Letter and Sample Pre-Program Survey included here to their membership through their newsletter or billing program. These documents can help assess the need for and impact of the fire ant management program and allow the group to better document the continued acceptability of the program. Periodically send the Sample Post-Program Survey form to members following implementation of the program. You can modify these documents to include the name and logo of the community group conducting a fire ant management program.
The attached Texas Imported Fire Ant Research and Management Project Covenant Not to Sue and Agreement to Hold Harmless sheets can be useful when volunteers apply fire ant control materials to common areas, absentee landowner properties, and for those unable to make applications themselves. If an accident should happen as a result of these activities, this legal document, signed in advance, can help prevent legal difficulties.
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References
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service: agrilife.org/agrilife-agencies/extension-home/
Texas Imported Fire Ant Research and Management Project: fireant.tamu.edu eXtension www.eXtension.org/fire+ants
Managing Imported Fire Ants in Urban Areas: www.extension.org/pages/11004/managingimported-fire-ants-in-urban-areas-printableversion
Fire Ant Control: The Two-Step Method and Other Approaches: www.agrilifebookstore.org/product-p/ento-034.Htm
Considerations for Developing a CommunityWide Red Imported Fire Ant Management Program: u.tamu.edu/ento-026
Survey-Based Management of Red Imported Fire Ants: u.tamu.edu/ento-007
Broadcast Baits for Fire Ant Control: www.agrilifebookstore.org/product-p/e-628.htm
Download a printer-friendly version of this publication: Community-Wide Imported Fire Ant Management Kit
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