How to Treat Fire Ants Around Quail
Signs of fire ant infestation are numerous mounds of loose soil similar to gopher holes. Worker fire ants are orange or dark brown in color. They are highly aggressive and will swarm out their nest when it is disturbed and sting relentlessly. Fire ants can kill quail chicks as well as weak adult birds. You can safely use bait granules to kill off fire ants and protect your birds.
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Things You'll Need
- Small surveyor flags
- 3 hot dogs cut into pieces
- 3/4-pound bag of hydramethylnon baited granules
- 3/4-pound bag of methprene baited granules
- Bucket
- Shovel
- Ant bait broadcaster or lawn hopper spreader
Instructions
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Find and mark off the fire ant mounds. Fire ant mounds look like large piles of loose dirt and are most often located on higher ground, around shrubs, trees and flower beds. Walk through your yard in small strips or sections while you look. When you find one, insert a small surveyor flag into the ground near the mound so you can keep track of them.
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Observe the fire ant feeding patterns. Place pieces of hot dog around the yard during days with mild weather. Watch for the fire ants to swarm the hot dog. The days you see the ants feeding is when you want to spread the poison bait granules.
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Mix a 3/4-pound bag of hydramethylnon baited granules with 3/4-pound bag of methprene baited granules in a bucket with a shovel. Pour the mixture into an ant bait broadcaster or a lawn hopper spreader. Spread the granules evenly over the flagged ant mounds and the areas you placed the hot dog and have seen them feed. The ant colonies should die off within six weeks.
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Reapply the poison ant bait granules whenever you see another ant mound appear. You can also drench the mounds by pouring a bucket full of three gallons boiling water into it if a mound appears just after rainfall to kill off the ants without having to reapply the poison bait.
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Tips & Warnings
During the spring and fall months, fire ants can be seen clearing out blocked tunnels and created a large mound of loose soil above their nest after cool rainy weather. Apply bait to your yard during this time as this is when the fire ants are the most active and out gathering food to bring back to the colony.
Be careful handling poisoned bait. Always wash off your hands and clothing after use.
References
- Exxant: The Fireant Solution
- University of Texas: Fire Ant FAQs
- University of Florida: Imported Fire Ants and Their Management; Robert M Pereira, et al
- Michigan State University Extension: Fire Ant Control: The Two-Step Method and Other Approaches
- Texas Imported Fire Ant Research and Management Project: FAQs
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
