If your pet has encountered the dangerous sting of red imported fire ants claiming territory on your lawn, you probably will want to declare war. Fire ants have become a serious health problem for backyard pets and small animals, and learning safe methods to control fire ants will lead to a safer living environment.
If your pet is attacked by fire ants, remove it quickly from the source and eliminate any fire ants from your pet. Do not attempt to spray ants off with a water hose because they will hang on with their jaws and sting the animal repeatedly.
Some pesticides can be toxic to pets if ingested, so take special care. You should always remove your pets from the yard before applying any type of insecticide. Either a conventional or “organic” treatment can be used to control fire ants.
If your yard is heavily infested with fire ants, the Two-Step Method can effectively control them. Begin by applying a bait-formulated product (such as Amdro®, Logic®, Award®, Ascend®, Extinguish®, Distance® or Spectracide® Fire Ant Bait) to the entire yard using a broadcast applicator. When applied properly, broadcast bait applications are unlikely to harm pets. Wherever fire ants are active, baits are rapidly picked up by worker ants and removed to underground nests, away from people, birds and pets. Step two requires treating troublesome mounds near pets with an approved mound drench, granule, aerosol, dust or bait.
Individual mound treatments provide quick control of the worst mounds, while the bait treatments provide slower, more complete control of fire ant activity over the whole area for a longer time. If you choose to use granular and dust insecticides, thoroughly water treatments into the mound and allow to dry before permitting pets to re-enter the treated areas. Several “organic” methods of controlling fire ants also can be safe to use around your pets. They include ant mound treatment products containing pyrethrins, combinations of pyrethrins and diatomaceous earth, rotenone, pine oil, d-limonene or pouring two to three gallons of very hot or boiling water over the mound.
In yards with pets, do not use baits as a mound treatment, or granular products and dusts that are not watered in. The reason for this is because the pesticide remains on the surface of the mound in high concentrations where pets can easily contact it. When applying fire ant control products to areas where pets live, always read and follow the label instructions for safety and best results.
For more information, contact your local county Extension office or visit the Web at http://fireant.tamu.edu.
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