Methods for controlling red fire ants

The red fire ant is a very invincible ant and will have a very severe burning sensation after being burned. It is also a creature with very strong destructive ability. The red fire ant is not only clearly classified but also has very strong combat capabilities. Although this type of red fire ant is very small in size, we must not underestimate their ability to divide labor, as they can cause serious injuries to humans in a short period of time.

Ordinary citizens should focus on prevention

The prevention and control of red fire ants is somewhat dangerous and requires organization and planning. It also involves professional knowledge such as the use of drugs and quarantine treatment. Therefore, Agriculture Jun recommends that ordinary citizens should know more about red fire ants and understand them, and prevention should be the main focus of prevention.

When engaging in outdoor activities in areas where red fire ants have been found, it is best to wear long-sleeved clothing, rain boots and gloves to prevent bites. If you find red fire ants, do not touch or step on the ant nest, and do not touch or catch them with your hands.

If there is grass outside the house where you live, you should be careful to prevent the invasion of red fire ants. Use ant baits in the house for a long time and replace them every few months.

Insecticide sprays containing active ingredients can be used in the courtyard or other outdoor areas, sprayed along the base of the wall or the route where red fire ants walk, and regularly sprayed on the door frames or window frames to form a protective strip to prevent them from entering the room.

Plant quarantine management departments should vigorously carry out publicity and training as well as technical demonstrations to enhance the ability and level of management personnel and technical personnel of relevant departments in preventing and controlling red fire ants. At present, the prevention and control of red fire ants mainly focus on three aspects: quarantine interception, application of poison bait, and application of powders for prevention and control.

Quarantine Interception

Quarantine is implemented on items coming from countries and regions where red fire ants occur, with a focus on waste items, machinery, logs, wooden packaging, containers, etc. If red fire ants are found, strict quarantine and pest control will be implemented. Use the scouting method and bait

The inducement method is:

Origin quarantine: Regularly inspect seedlings, flowers, turf, etc. and their surroundings during their growth period;

Transportation quarantine: Before all types of quarantined plants and plant products are transported, they and the soil or media, packaging materials, and means of transportation they carry must be inspected. They can only be transferred from the epidemic area after passing the quarantine. Remove seedlings, flowers, turf, soil, media, fertilizer, garbage, etc. from the affected area and soak or pour them with highly contact-killing, low-toxic pesticides until they are completely moistened. If they are potted plants, you can also apply high-efficiency insecticide granules to the media and water them thoroughly after application.

Using poison bait to kill red fire ants

The advantages of using poison bait to kill red fire ants are that it has a wide range of applications, is easy to use, and can kill most ant colonies; the disadvantages are that the control effect of one application is generally 70% to 80%, and the good effect can be close to 90%, requiring two or more applications.

Use poison bait to eliminate red fire ants in a single ant nest or a single location: This method is suitable for eliminating ant nests with a small density and a scattered distribution, or using bait to lure ants to areas with a low ratio of worker ants. Spread poison bait in a spot or ring at a distance of 10 to 100 cm from the ant nest, or in a spot at the location where the bait attracts worker ants; the amount of poison bait should be determined according to the instructions for use of the preparation and the size of the ant nest;

Widespread spreading of poison bait to eliminate red fire ants: This method is suitable for areas where the density of ant nests is large and the distribution is relatively widespread, or where the bait method is used to attract worker ants but ant nests are rarely found. When spreading poison bait, cover all locations in the occurrence area. Determine the amount of bait to be used according to the instructions for use of the bait and the density of the ant nest and worker ants;

Comprehensive application and supplementary application of poison bait: In serious infestation areas, when the density of ant nests is large and the distribution is widespread, a combination of prevention and control of single ant nests and general application of poison bait can be used, and the amount of poison bait can be appropriately increased.

Be careful! The application of poison bait for prevention and control requires clear or cloudy days or nights, with temperatures between 21 and 34°C or surface temperatures between 22 and 38°C, and the ground must be dry. Do not deploy if the ground is wet or if rainfall is forecast within 6 to 12 hours.

In addition, whether using poison bait to kill a single ant nest or a single location, or spreading poison bait to kill red fire ants generally, an investigation should be conducted 2 weeks after using the poison bait. If live ant nests are found or worker ants are lured, additional poison bait should be applied at the locations where live ant nests and worker ants are lured.

Use powder to control red fire ants

The advantage of using powder to kill nests is that it can threaten the queen ant and kill the entire nest; the disadvantage is that the application operation requires meticulousness and it can only be used to control more obvious ant nests, and cannot be used to control scattered ants or inconspicuous anthills.

This prevention and control method mainly involves destroying the ant nest, and then quickly and evenly spreading the powder on the worker ants after a large number of worker ants emerge. The drug is passed between the worker ants carrying the drug and other ants, thus poisoning the entire nest. Generally, it takes 5 to 10 days for the nest to be destroyed to take effect. When using powder, please note:

Sprinkle the medicine carefully to ensure that more powder sticks to the ants.

Use it when the temperature is above 15℃. Do not apply the pesticide when it is raining or the wind is strong.

The extent of destruction of the ant nest should be as large as possible, at least 1/3 of the above-ground part of the ant nest (anthill) should be destroyed, and the lower the temperature, the greater the extent of destruction of the ant nest should be;

The usage requirements of different types of powders should not be confused. General powders are easily ineffective and have low protective effects when used when the ground is wet or it is raining; waterproof powders can be used when the ground is wet or it is raining lightly.