Fireants

remingtonman

Four Pointer
Where I live has had fireants for about 12 years. It seems like a lot less baby rabbits which has led to a decrease in adult rabbits even though I still have good year round cover. Plenty of opportunity to train m dogs but I always want a good population of game. What's your opinion of fireants impact on young wildlife?
 

Eric Revo

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
They have killed more young of the year and newly hatched birds..as well as making birds abandon nests , than any other scurge that's there has ever been once they are established. There are more than one type of fire ant and Florida had two in the area that I lived, they were almost impossible to get rid of and cost many billions of dollars in damage to property and crops every year.
 

bryguy

Old Mossy Horns
Well depends on which species of fire ant you are talking about. The native fire ant species (the southern fire ant) has a minor impact on game populations, but the invasive red fire ant is more then likely the main reason for the bobwhite quail decline in the southeast.
 

nchunter2

Eight Pointer
I've just noticed fire ant mounds in Catawba County a few months back....actually got out of my vehicle in a parking lot to check it out. Unbelievable! Figured it would be too cold here, but they're here!
 

ncscrubmaster

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
I seen a new updated map for them the other day in the NC agricultural review. It's online if you want to see it. Not sure how to put up a link.
 

Eric Revo

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I have a friend who had a localized infestation of invasive fireants in Wytheville , VA. He called the extension agent who told him that they probably came from nursery raised plants he had purchased from Lowes.
They treated his property and his neighbors as well and came back the following year to recheck.
 

catfishrus

Twelve Pointer
I panic every time I get bite. I'm allergic to the things and I fear for my life. Past couple times haven't been too bad but I remember a time..it was not good for me! First time I ever got bit was in SC and we was rabbit hunting that day. My dad said look at that....a little ant run a grown man out of the woods. I later seen a old man try to drown 21 of them in a knee deep mud puddle down there...they was wearing him out! There was plenty of them in SC back then but we still managed to kill plenty of rabbits. Now our hunt club here in NC is loaded with them also but the only place you find rabbits is around our camp. I think the spray they use on these cutovers is just as bad. JMO
 

BBC

Six Pointer
I expect so as well,,,,,,I believe from what I have seen it kills most (all?) deciduous plants,,,,,rabbits need those
I second that. Kills all and keeps preventing regrowth. One of the worst things ever for wildlife. apologies for high jacking this but hit a sore spot.
 

Justin

Old Mossy Horns
I've just noticed fire ant mounds in Catawba County a few months back....actually got out of my vehicle in a parking lot to check it out. Unbelievable! Figured it would be too cold here, but they're here!

Been in parts of the county for several years.
 

bshobbs

Old Mossy Horns
I have them around my yard. I put fire ant killer on them and it seems to at least kill some and move the nest farther towards the woods.
 

took

Ten Pointer
Contributor
We have them bad. I keep a jug of Orthene on my lawnmower and sprinkle on the mounds as I cut grass.

Later this past year, I started mixing up a gallon of Bifen, jabbing a piece of rebar into the nest, stirring it up good, and then spraying them. That actually seemed to work better with higher kill rate in not having them relocate a few days later.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
Doesn't a late night dose of gas and a match work on them?

no,,,,but it makes folks feel good that they are "doing something"

orthene (the white powder stuff) works well,,,,I keep them off my places with it,,,,,may even be know to use it a little further out to keep them things at bay,,,,other stuff hasn't worked for me,,,
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ortho-lawn-insect-pest-control-0282210-64_1000.jpg
 

lasttombstone

Kinder, Gentler LTS
Fortunately, I haven't seen any up here yet and that map from Ag Review still shows them only about half way up the county. Maybe I'll escape them for a while yet.
 

catfishrus

Twelve Pointer
I use the granular stuff to treat my yard with every year. Usually spend a couple hundred but that is cheaper than the ER for me. That powder is some stinking stuff! I have used the gas before...it will get them but they will come right back to the same spot once the grass comes back. I use to have them at my front door step..put gas on them several times and they always came back. Sold that place and threw the fire ants in for free...LOL.

If you don't have them...get ready they coming.
 

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
We have them terribly bad here. They are everywhere, and I can't possibly treat them all. I've tried. A couple years ago I switched over to the Orthene powder. I went through about a dozen bottles of the stuff. It kills the nest right away, but they always seem to pop up within a week or two in close proximity. For the last 2 season I have used Bifenthrin granules and broadcast the areas that I most want to keep them out of. It will last for 3-4 months. It's expensive, but I pretty much have to. I treat the yard out to about 50 yards from the house, the pond dam, and I always have to treat the garden. I learned the hard way that they will eat all of the flower buds on okra and you'll never get any. They will also get on sweet corn.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
We have them terribly bad here. They are everywhere, and I can't possibly treat them all. I've tried. A couple years ago I switched over to the Orthene powder. I went through about a dozen bottles of the stuff. It kills the nest right away, but they always seem to pop up within a week or two in close proximity. For the last 2 season I have used Bifenthrin granules and broadcast the areas that I most want to keep them out of. It will last for 3-4 months. It's expensive, but I pretty much have to. I treat the yard out to about 50 yards from the house, the pond dam, and I always have to treat the garden. I learned the hard way that they will eat all of the flower buds on okra and you'll never get any. They will also get on sweet corn.


I had that issue,,,,had to get on them hard and wide,,,,issue is that a colony will expand out fast so peripheral colonies move in,,,,it took one year (and I don't know how much orthene) to eliminate them from my old 5 acre place and then every month I'd patrol the perimeter (and MAYBE a little outside of it) to lay waste to the encroachers,,,,,,,,

haven't got them completely eliminated from this new place,,,but working on them,,,,
 

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I have spent hours walking with product in hand searching for mounds, I just can't seem to get rid of them. I thought that I could hit them hard as you said for a year or two and then I would be able to control them after that. That was a failure. I would think that I had made a huge dent in them, but then a good rain would come, and I would see all of the new mounds pop up that I couldn't see before. After hitting them hard all season long, we had a dry spell followed by a good rain, and it looked like I hadn't hardly done anything.

Sounds like you've been more successful than me.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
,,,

Sounds like you've been more successful than me.

don't know about that,,,,at 5 years on this new place and still fighting,,,,,,,,,it's a UW fight, won't win it overnight,,,,,,issue here is they have mounds in amongst the long leaf pines and hard as heck to find them under a little straw,,,,,

need to get it burned,,,,then I'd find them barstards@@
 

pinehunter

Eight Pointer
Good info on ant killer guys. I am going to try the bifen and poking the poison down the mound. A guy at work worked pest control for Cleggs and recommendEd Aveeno ant killer. It comes in a bag and can be spread like fertilizer. Works very well but is expensive and I don't like spreading that much poison every 6 months to a year
 
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nekkedducker

Ten Pointer
In my experience fipronil is the best product out, although it is restricted use and really shouldnt be applied by anyone not a licensed applicator. Also great for fleas, ticks and chiggers. We get two years out of one application, but its about $500 and acre. Baits work too, advion, amdro, etc, but read the label and apply as directed. Orthene is great as either a dust around the mound, not on top, the exit holes are 2 to 4 ft out. Or dilute it in water and drench the mound with at least 5 gals of water with a bucket, but pull the dirt back first with a shovel.
 
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Boojum

Ten Pointer
Well depends on which species of fire ant you are talking about. The native fire ant species (the southern fire ant) has a minor impact on game populations, but the invasive red fire ant is more then likely the main reason for the bobwhite quail decline in the southeast.

We have no fire ants here, and the quail have went from very common to completely gone in the last 30 years. It's not fire ants.
 

Mack in N.C.

Old Mossy Horns
We have no fire ants here, and the quail have went from very common to completely gone in the last 30 years. It's not fire ants.

This^^ I am sure fireants kill young quail but it is not the reason for the decline. quail were mostly gone way before fireants made it to most of NC they inhabit.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
didn't say they were the cause - said they were deadly to small animals,,,,mostly shortly after birth,,,,

that's according to the USDA and other researchers,,,,not my lowly opinion,,,,,
 
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