fire ants

Oliver T Masse (massey@hal.fmhi.usf.edu)
Mon, 22 Nov 93 11:38:09 EST

I saw the discussion last week on fire ants. We've got two or three
related species in Florida. Down here they not only interfere with
plant roots with their nests, they also eat seeds, pollen, and anything
else (including legs and arms) that comes too close.

Most people around here swear by AMDRO, (commercial prep) I use it for
the yard, but have never used it near or in cp containers.

I have never heard anyone having luck with diatemaceous earth with fire
ants, if it works 12 million gratefull Floridians will make you rich.

I have also never known anyone to get rid of fire ants completely. On a
positive note, fire ants tend to abandon nests which are disturbed once
or twice. If they are nesting (presence of eggs) in a cp planter, you
might try disturbing them enough to get them to abandom the planter,
then sprinkle Diazinon around the area on the ground.

Also, I have one Nepenthes, N. kampotianna, outside which is an absolute
magnet for fire ants. Pitchers will fill up with fire ants even in the
absence of obvious nests in the area. The pitchers stop trapping ants
only when they are so full the ants can climb back onto the peristome.
The little beasties get S**t-faced too, because you can poke at them
without any swarming response.

All the best

Tom
Massey@hal.fmhi.usf.edu