Fire Ants...

[chainedwraith]

We get yellow jacket colonies in several of our courses in central FL, especially River City Nature Park in DeBary. We deal with them almost once a year out there. They are much worse than fire ants. I've been lit up by them a few times at 3 different courses. Twice during a tournament.

 

[DavidSauls]

On the course, you can only watch. At home, use bait. Poison works, but the bait is literally 100%. I live in Houston. Andro. Gasoline and match works pretty well, but only if your wife doesn't see and they ain't near the house.

Here's a really interesting observation. Ten years ago, the number of fire ant piles in my yard was always greater than ten at any given time. Today, it is virtually zero. I see almost none on the course. Not zero, just way fewer. I don't think it is eradication. It could be global warming, or at least the hoax about global warming, or some other factor, but the change in piles is real. I've also seen a shift in weed types in my garden over the past ten years with different species coming and going.

Having moved to the country 10 years ago and become a lot more attuned to the environment, I suspect "some other factor". All sorts of populations rise and fall over a period of years, for whatever reasons. Might be something on the neighboring property. Certainly changes in vegetation due to our activities.

If the fire ants have diminished, I suggest you don't say anything that might jinx that trend.

 

[markmcc]

For over 30 years we lived on 15 acres in a sandy area east of Austin. When the fire ants moved in they were everywhere and completely decimated the local wildlife. Ground-nesting birds, even birds that nested low in trees, rabbits, etc. The good news was that they also eliminated ticks and scorpions for a period of time. We started using baits (Amdro) and later hormonal type products that interrupted the life cycle of the fire ants. At the same time a specific species of phorid flies that were natural predators of fire ants were being released in test areas, and ours was one of them.

Over time we saw fewer fire ant mounds and less impact on wildlife. The scorpions rebounded, but not the ticks for some reason. We even saw some of the native ant species return. Who would have ever thought that seeing big red ants once again would cause such celebration? And by this time we had stopped with the baits and hormonal products.

So in our area there seemed to be a degree of control reached. There were still fire ants but they weren't so overwhelming.

 

[eegor]

Is that why I walk like that? On the plus side, I find lots of cool stuff on the ground.

Yeah, watch everyone walk through the park. Head down scanning the ground. It becomes a habit in childhood if you grow up down in TX. You don't even notice it really. I wouldn't have made note of it until I spent a summer in Omaha in the 80's. We'd go to the river to party and I'd be checking the ground before I sat down. The other guys made fun of me for it. You never just sit on dirt without looking first during the summer in TX.

 

[worldwide]

just a couple spicy bois

 

[dysmike]

Yeah, watch everyone walk through the park. Head down scanning the ground. It becomes a habit in childhood if you grow up down in TX. You don't even notice it really. I wouldn't have made note of it until I spent a summer in Omaha in the 80's. We'd go to the river to party and I'd be checking the ground before I sat down. The other guys made fun of me for it. You never just sit on dirt without looking first during the summer in TX.

People that don't live around any more aggressive species of ant always look at us weird when we say "hey man, don't stand there... ants.." or "hey, watch your bag.. ants.."

 

[adlacro]

I had my only encounter with fire ants in the first round of a doubles event in Fort Pierce, and, to say the least, I played the rest of the day with no socks...got the shoes cleared of those nasty buggers though.

 

[ohtobediscing]

I always get bitten at least once when I return to MS for the winter, and I've forgotten about fire ants while living and working out west during the summer. One of my crew members had to get lifeflighted for a bee sting though.

 

[Spinthrift]

A helpful hint from People's Pharmacy on treating fire ant stings - white vinegar.
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/201...as-surprising-antidote-to-sting-of-fire-ants/

 

[tom12003]

Maybe just a rumor, but I've heard if you take a shovel full of their hill and dump it on another hill, they will battle and kill each other. Andro still the best treatment; for the USDGC we go through 20+ pounds of it a few weeks before the tournament and most of the fairways are clear of the fire ants--sorry BrotherDave, we usually don't treat much of the spectator areas.

 

[Tripper]

Maybe just a rumor, but I've heard if you take a shovel full of their hill and dump it on another hill, they will battle and kill each other. Andro still the best treatment; for the USDGC we go through 20+ pounds of it a few weeks before the tournament and most of the fairways are clear of the fire ants--sorry BrotherDave, we usually don't treat much of the spectator areas.

I'd like to watch that battle.

 

[BrotherDave]

Maybe just a rumor, but I've heard if you take a shovel full of their hill and dump it on another hill, they will battle and kill each other. Andro still the best treatment; for the USDGC we go through 20+ pounds of it a few weeks before the tournament and most of the fairways are clear of the fire ants--sorry BrotherDave, we usually don't treat much of the spectator areas.

That's okay. If they were fire ants they were the mildest, least painful fire ants I've had the displeasure of meeting. And being barefoot makes it much easier to be spotted in the crowd during the lead card video. :thmbup:

 

[Old Dog]

Well that sucks lol. Do long socks help at all? Or can they sting through the fabric? Ive been trying to avoid them but there are mounds everywhere.

No they cannot sting threw fabric. However they are extremely aggressive and persistent and simply keep climbing until they find bare flesh. :gross:

 

[TheOtherBill]

No they cannot sting threw fabric. However they are extremely aggressive and persistent and simply keep climbing until they find bare flesh. :gross:

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[thrembo]

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