ANR-0175-A 2008 Fire Ant Control Materials for Alabama Homeowners
2008 Fire Ant Control Materials for Alabama Homeowners
Many products for the control of fire ants are now on the market. Each year new products are introduced and old products may have new names. The products mentioned in this publication were found on the shelves of various farmers cooperatives, hardware stores, and lawn and garden centers during a survey of 23 stores in March 2008. Other materials may be available. Costs reflect average retail prices from the survey.
This publication is a supplement to other publications and Web sites that explain more about fire ant biology and management. These resources can help you choose an approach to fire ant control that is low-cost, environmentally friendly, and perhaps less frustrating than what you are doing now. The following resources are recommended: Imported Fire Ant eXtension Web site at www.extension.org/fire+ants and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System Web site, www.aces.edu/dept/fireants.
Broadcast treatments involve applying the fire ant control chemical across the infested area. One advantage of broadcast treatments is that new colonies may be controlled before mounds appear above the turf. Therefore, the need for continual treatment of visible mounds may be reduced until reinfestations occur. Read the label to make sure a particular chemical is registered for your site. Baits are perceived as food and picked up by the worker ants and carried back to the nest. In contrast, broadcast granular insecticides work by forming a relatively long-lasting insecticidal barrier on the soil surface. The residual control of a particular broadcast granular insecticide will depend on how long the active ingredient persists in the environment. The label on the product may indicate how long a particular brand may last in the environment.
| Table 1. Fire Ant Baits Designed to be Spread (Broadcast) Across the Infested Area, Arranged in Order of Cost Per Acre |
|
| Trade Name |
Cost to treat
|
Active
ingredient2 |
Number of stores |
| 1,000 sq. ft. |
1 acre1 |
|
| Baits |
| Enforcer Fire Ant Bait |
$0.20 |
$9 |
abamectin B1 |
1 |
| Extinguish Professional Fire Ant Bait |
$0.34 |
$15 |
(S)-methoprene |
3 |
| Amdro Fire Ant Bait |
$0.43 |
$19 |
hydramethylnon |
16 |
| Extinguish Plus Fire Ant Bait |
$0.49 |
$21 |
(S)-methoprene & hydramethylnon |
4 |
| Safer Fire Ant Bait |
$1.12 |
$49 |
spinosad |
2 |
| Ferti-lome Come and Get It |
$1.22 |
$53 |
spinosad |
2 |
| Spectracide Fire Ant Killer Plus Preventer Bait Once & Done |
$2.21 |
$96 |
indoxacarb |
3 |
| Amdro FireStrike Fire Ant Bait3 |
$2.65 |
$116 |
(S)-methoprene & hydramethylnon |
4 |
| Amdro Fire Ant Bait Yard Treatment |
$3.65 |
$159 |
hydramethylnon |
7 |
|
1An acre is 43,560 square feet. To determine the square footage of your yard, multiply the length in feet by the width in feet.
2See Table 4 for more information about each active ingredient.
3This is not the same product as Amdro FireStrike Fire Ant Bait Mound Treatment. |
| Table 2. Granular Insecticides Designed to be Spread (Broadcast) Across the Infested Area, Arranged in Order of Cost Per Acre |
|
| Trade Name |
Cost to treat
|
Active
ingredient2 |
Number of stores |
| 1,000 sq. ft. |
1 acre1 |
|
| Granular or liquid concentrate insecticides |
| Hi-Yield Bug Blaster II Turf, Termite, and Ornamental Insect Control |
$1.89 |
$82 |
bifenthrin |
7 |
| Bifen I/T Insecticide/Termiticide |
$2.23 |
$97 |
bifenthrin |
2 |
| Hi-Yield Bug Blaster Turf Insect Control Granules |
$2.38 |
$104 |
bifenthrin |
8 |
| Ortho Bug B Gon Max Insect Killer for Lawns |
$2.61 |
$114 |
bifenthrin |
8 |
| Surrender Impose Fire Ant Killer |
$3.00 |
$131 |
bifenthrin |
1 |
| Scotts Turf Builder with Fire Ant Control |
$3.483 |
$152 |
bifenthrin |
2 |
| Ortho Max Fire Ant Killer Broadcast Granules |
$3.79 |
$165 |
bifenthrin |
9 |
| GardenTech Over ’n Out! Fire Ant Killer Broadcast Granules |
$4.52 |
$197 |
fipronil |
14 |
| Hi-Yield Imported Fire Ant Control Granules Containing Deltamethrin |
$4.82 |
$210 |
deltamethrin |
2 |
| Scotts Bonus S Max Southern Weed and Feed and Fire Ant Killer |
$4.993 |
$217 |
bifenthrin |
4 |
|
1An acre is 43,560 square feet. To determine the square footage of your yard, multiply the length in feet by the width in feet.
2See Table 4 for more information about each active ingredient.
3This cost also includes other materials, such as fertilizer and herbicide. |
Individual mound treatments alone are commonly done on turf sites of an acre or less, including lawns. Treatments are done as infestation occurs and mounds appear. It may be necessary to treat a colony more than once. Individual mound treatments can be used in combination with broadcast treatments, to eliminate annoying mounds before the broadcast material has taken effect, or to eliminate colonies that the broadcast treatment may have missed. Insecticide mound treatments include dusts, granulars, baits, drenches, and injections. Always apply insecticides according to label directions. In the case of fire ant mound treatments, most product labels state specifically where the dosage should be placed. Never apply more than the labeled dosage. In addition to being costly and illegal, overapplication may simply encourage the colony to relocate a few feet away from the original mound.
| Table 3. Products Used as Individual Mound Treatments to Control Fire Ants, Arranged in Order of Cost Per 10 Mounds |
|
| Trade name (type of product)1 |
Cost to treat 10 mounds |
Active ingredient2 |
Number of stores |
|
| Eliminator Ant, Flea, & Tick KillerII Granules |
$0.10 |
bifenthrin |
2 |
| Eliminator Fire Ant Killer Plus GranulesII |
$0.14 |
bifenthrin |
2 |
| Hi-Yield Turf Ranger Insect Control Granules |
$0.54 |
deltamethrin |
3 |
| Bayer Advanced Fire Ant Killer Ready-to-Use Dust |
$0.67 |
beta-cyfluthrin |
4 |
| Bengal UltraDust 2X Fire Ant Killer (dust) |
$0.70 |
deltamethrin |
11 |
| Hi-Yield Imported Fire Ant Control Granules Containing Deltamethrin |
$0.78 |
deltamethrin |
2 |
| Hi-Yield Acephate Fire Ant Killer (dust,wp) |
$1.08 |
acephate |
1 |
| Eliminator Lawn Insect Killer Granules |
$1.14 |
carbaryl |
2 |
| Spectracide No-Odor Fire Ant Killer Ready-to-Use Dust |
$1.21 |
permethrin |
2 |
| Ortho Orthene Fire Ant Killer (dust) |
$1.26 |
acephate |
11 |
| Sunniland Chinch Bug Granules |
$1.26 |
permethrin |
1 |
| Martin’s Permethrin 10% (liquid concentrate) |
$1.30 |
permethrin |
2 |
| Surrender Fire Ant Killer (dust,wp) |
$1.34 |
acephate |
8 |
| GardenTech Sevin Lawn Insect Granules |
$1.42 |
carbaryl |
6 |
| Terro Fire Ant Killer Outdoor (dust) |
$1.42 |
deltamethrin |
1 |
| Bayer Advanced Lawn Complete Insect Killer for Soil & Turf (ready-to-use-granule) |
$1.45 |
imidacloprid &
beta-cyfluthrin |
3 |
| Hi-Yield Acephate Systemic Turf, Tree, and Ornamental Spray (dust,wp) |
$1.58 |
acephate |
1 |
| Southern Ag Fire Ant Control Granules |
$1.67 |
permethrin |
1 |
| Hi-Yield 10% Carbaryl Garden and Pet Dust |
$1.76 |
carbaryl |
4 |
| Southern Ag Carbaryl 10% Dust |
$1.96 |
carbaryl |
1 |
| Spectracide Fire Ant Killer Plus Preventer Bait Once & Done |
$2.14 |
indoxacarb |
3 |
| Terro Ant Dust |
$2.19 |
deltamethrin |
3 |
| Eagles-7 Fire Ant Destroyer (dust) |
$2.66 |
deltamethrin |
1 |
| Spectracide Fire Ant Killer Granules Mound Destroyer |
$2.71 |
lambda-cyhalothrin |
10 |
| Hi-Yield Lawn & Garden Insect Killer Granules |
$2.71 |
carbaryl |
6 |
| Bayer Advanced Power Force Fire Ant Killer Ready-to-Use Granules |
$2.81 |
beta-cyfluthrin |
2 |
| Bayer Advanced Power Force Carpenter Ant & Termite Killer Plus Concentrate (liquid concentrate) |
$2.97 |
beta-cyfluthrin |
3 |
| Terro Outdoor Ant Killer Plus Multi-Purpose Insect Control (ready-to-use granule) |
$3.13 |
lambda-cyhalothrin |
8 |
| Hi-Yield Bug Blaster II Turf, Termite, and Ornamental Insect Control (liquid concentrate) |
$3.15 |
bifenthrin |
7 |
| Enforcer BugMax 240 8 Month Home Pest Control (dust) |
$3.33 |
deltamethrin |
1 |
| Surrender Termite 5 Killer (liquid concentrate) |
$3.55 |
bifenthrin |
2 |
| Bifen I/T Insecticide/Termiticide (liquid concentrate) |
$3.72 |
bifenthrin |
2 |
| GardenTech Sevin Bug Killer Ready to Spray (hose end sprayer) (liquid concentrate) |
$3.78 |
carbaryl |
9 |
| Ortho Max Fire Ant Killer Broadcast Granules |
$4.07 |
bifenthrin |
9 |
| GardenTech Sevin Bug Killer Concentrate (liquid concentrate) |
$4.07 |
carbaryl |
20 |
| Ortho Fire Ant Killer Mound Treatment (ready-to-use granule) |
$4.08 |
bifenthrin |
7 |
Eliminator Bug Killer Concentrate Sevin (liquid concentrate) |
$4.18 |
carbaryl |
20 |
| GardenTech Over’nOut! Fire Ant Killer Mound Treatment (bait) |
$4.24 |
indoxacarb |
4 |
| Extinguish Professional Fire Ant Bait |
$4.66 |
(S)-methoprene |
3 |
| Safer Fire Ant Bait |
$4.72 |
spinosad |
2 |
| Enforcer Fire Ant Bait |
$5.10 |
abamectin B1 |
1 |
| Amdro Fire Ant Bait |
$5.45 |
hydramethylnon |
16 |
| Enforcer Fire Ant Killer Granules II |
$5.52 |
permethrin |
4 |
| Ferti-lome Come and Get It (bait) |
$5.62 |
spinosad |
2 |
| Amdro FireStrike Fire Ant Bait Mound Treatment |
$5.80 |
(S)-methoprene & hydramethylnon |
2 |
| Green Light Fire Ant Killer Granules |
$7.02 |
permethrin |
4 |
| Extinguish Plus Fire Ant Bait |
$7.16 |
(S)-methoprene & hydramethylnon |
4 |
| Surrender Impose Fire Ant Killer (ready-to-use granule) |
$7.39 |
bifenthrin |
1 |
| Y-Tex GardStar 40% EC Livestock and Premise Insecticide (liquid concentrate) |
$7.92 |
permethrin |
1 |
| Hi-Yield Kill-A-Bug II Lawn Granules |
$8.60 |
permethrin |
2 |
| Hi-Yield Garden, Pet & Livestock Insect Control (liquid concentrate) |
$9.86 |
permethrin |
4 |
| Hi-Yield Indoor/Outdoor Broad Use Insecticide (liquid concentrate) |
$10.18 |
permethrin |
7 |
| Amdro Ant Block Home Perimeter Ant Bait |
$11.68 |
hydramethylnon |
5 |
| Southern Ag Conserve Naturalyte Insect Control (liquid concentrate) |
$12.38 |
spinosad |
1 |
| Demon WP (water soluble packet) |
$17.05 |
cypermethrin |
3 |
| Natural Guard Spinosad Landscape and Garden Insecticide Ready-to-Spray (liquid concentrate) |
$18.75 |
spinosad |
4 |
| Ferti-lome Borer, Bagworm, Leaf Miner, and Tent Caterpillar Spray (liquid concentrate) |
$21.65 |
spinosad |
4 |
| Hi-Yield 38 Plus Turf, Tree, and Ornamental Insect Control (liquid concentrate) |
$23.29 |
permethrin |
8 |
| ACE Soil and Turf Insect Control Concentrate (liquid concentrate) |
$29.98 |
permethrin |
2 |
| Adams Plus Yard Spray (liquid concentrate) |
$31.80 |
permethrin |
1 |
| Surrender Cyper WP (water soluble packet) |
$72.66 |
cypermethrin |
1 |
| Enforcer BugMax Insect Killer Concentrate (liquid concentrate) |
$101.30 |
deltamethrin |
1 |
|
1Type of product is included when it is not included in the trade name.
2See Table 4 for more information about each active ingredient. |
| Table 4. Active Ingredients Found in Fire Ant Control Materials |
|
Common name of
active ingredients |
LD501 |
Speed of control2 |
How it works |
Half life in soil3 |
|
| (S)-methoprene |
34,600 |
8 to 12 weeks |
bait, stops production of new fire ants (igr) |
|
| (S)-methoprene, hydramethylnon |
1,161 |
2 to 4 weeks |
mix of two types of baits (see (S)-methoprene and hydramethylnon) |
|
| abamectin B1 |
10 |
2 to 8 weeks |
bait, kills workers as well as queens |
|
| acephate |
945 |
1 to 2 days |
contact insecticide |
|
| beta-cyfluthrin |
77 |
1 to 2 days |
contact insecticide |
|
| bifenthrin |
54 |
1 to 2 days |
contact insecticide |
123 days |
| carbaryl |
500 |
1 to 2 days |
contact insecticide |
|
| cypermethrin |
250 |
1 to 2 days |
contact insecticide |
|
| deltamethrin |
135 |
1 to 2 days |
contact insecticide |
11 to 33 days |
| fipronil |
59 |
3 to 4 weeks |
slow-acting insecticide |
366 days |
| hydramethylnon |
1,131 |
2 to 4 weeks |
bait, kills workers as well as queens |
|
| imidacloprid, beta-cyfluthrin |
77 |
1 to 2 days |
mix of two contact insecticides |
|
| indoxacarb |
268 |
1 to 3 days |
bait, kills workers as well as queens |
|
| lambda-cyhalothrin |
56 |
1 to 2 days |
contact insecticide |
|
| permethrin |
430 |
1 to 2 days |
contact insecticide |
|
| spinosad |
3,783 |
2 to 4 weeks |
bait, kills workers as well as queens |
|
|
1The larger the LD50, the safer the product. The LD50 is the amount required to kill 50 percent of the population, in milligrams per kilogram of body weight, usually calculated using rats or rabbits. The LD50 listed is the lower of two values—the toxicity when eaten or contacted by the skin.
2Speed of control is only one consideration in choosing a fire ant control product. Duration of control is also important.
3The half life in soil is an indication of the residual nature of the insecticide in soil. It is listed for those products that claim to provide a residual barrier to prevent new colonies from forming. |
Visit www.extension.org/fire+ants or www.aces.edu/dept/fireants for more information on managing fire ants.
ANR-0175-A Revised April 2008. Kathy Flanders, Extension Entomologist, Associate Professor, Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University.
Use pesticides only according to the directions on the label. Follow all directions, precautions, and restrictions that are listed. Do not use pesticides on plants that are not listed on the label.
The pesticide rates in this publication are recommended only if they are registered with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries. If a registration is changed or cancelled, the rate listed here is no longer recommended. Before you apply any pesticide, fungicide or herbicide, check with your county Extension agent for the latest information.
Trade names are used only to give specific information. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System does not endorse or guarantee any product and does not recommend one product instead of another that might be similar.
For more information, contact your county Extension office. Visit http://www.aces.edu/counties or look in your telephone directory under your county's name to find contact information.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and
home economics, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, and other related
acts, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Alabama
Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn
University) offers educational programs, materials, and equal
opportunity employment to all people without regard to race, color,
national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability.
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