less fireants...could it be?
- Thread starter elf
- Start date
Now that you mention it, it does seem as though there are fewer of them around. I wiped out a few mounds over the winter and they haven't reappeared there or near by. I could easily go without doing any fire ant dancing this year! 
boggybranch
Deeply Rooted
Absolutely....now that you mention it. This time last year, my place was wrapped up in them. But not very many, at all, this year.....so far.
hangin'witthepeeps
Deeply Rooted
I thought it was because I had gotten chickens last year. I have noticed absolutely ZERO in my yard this year. There weren't that many last year either, but there were some. If not the chickens, then what environmental factors has reduced the overwhelming population I have had for the past 8 years?
- Thread starter
- #5
I have chickens freeranging and tried sprinkling their corn over a couple mounds this spring, but they wouldn't go for the ants and wouldn't stay there , despite their penchant for corn. So my verdict was: they dislike them as much as I do, and were probably getting bitten.
I saw a lot here in Ga. under things even this winter and thought, "Oh, no. They're really gonna hit this spring." I baited heavily once this spring, and as usual, that helped, then more flew in. I've put off fixing and putting out more of my boric acid & sugar water bait and was expecting to be covered.I haven't searched all their usual mounding spots, but it dawned on me that -Hey! The last few weeks I haven't noticed them. Same thing at a rental property. So the decrease if any is not due to any efforts of mine
I got so tired of hearing the ag. experts' promises to help us with fire ant predators over the last 10 or 15 yrs., that I tuned them out. Seems like every predator, such as the itch mite, they found was worse than the fire ants or they were just not offered to the public. Has anyone heard that they finally released something?
I have seen a few belly up armadillos that have recently migrated here. Guess if they were much help, Texas wouldn't be "eat up" with fireants. I would say it's so dadgum hot, they're diving deep to cool off (That's what I'd do if I were a fireant.) But, having set fire to them, only to find a mound 3 inches over the next week, I think they don't call them fireants for nuthin'.
I saw a lot here in Ga. under things even this winter and thought, "Oh, no. They're really gonna hit this spring." I baited heavily once this spring, and as usual, that helped, then more flew in. I've put off fixing and putting out more of my boric acid & sugar water bait and was expecting to be covered.I haven't searched all their usual mounding spots, but it dawned on me that -Hey! The last few weeks I haven't noticed them. Same thing at a rental property. So the decrease if any is not due to any efforts of mine
I got so tired of hearing the ag. experts' promises to help us with fire ant predators over the last 10 or 15 yrs., that I tuned them out. Seems like every predator, such as the itch mite, they found was worse than the fire ants or they were just not offered to the public. Has anyone heard that they finally released something?
I have seen a few belly up armadillos that have recently migrated here. Guess if they were much help, Texas wouldn't be "eat up" with fireants. I would say it's so dadgum hot, they're diving deep to cool off (That's what I'd do if I were a fireant.) But, having set fire to them, only to find a mound 3 inches over the next week, I think they don't call them fireants for nuthin'.
- Thread starter
- #6
OK- My husband just said they did actually import a tiny parasitic wasp from S. America abt. 10-15 yrs ago and they said it would take a long time to help.I heard they'd discovered them but nothing more. They're the ones that lay eggs in the ant's brain, which explodes the head when they hatch. Delightful indeed! Hoodat, how far off am I? So, should I build a shrine to these wasps yet or are my ants just on vacation?
hoodat
Garden Addicted
This is the first I've heard of it but those little wasps do wonders for aphid and whitefly so if these new ones are as hard working as the ones I'm familiar with they should keep them under control. Now if they could just find one that likes ticks.
- Thread starter
- #8
- Thread starter
- #9
OK; I went out today and looked for some mounds that were there this spring. They seem to all be gone without recent treatment, though a very few ants surfaced when I scratched where the mounds had been. There have been no heavy rains to wash down the surface of the mounds lately, so this remains a delightful mystery. We are usually HEAVILY infested, and I've NEVER had colonies go away on their own. Not that I'm complaining, mind you! Well, tonight we're getting significant rain for the first time in quite a while. The hellions usually build new mounds after rain, so I'll look again in a few days.
SweetMissDaisy
Garden Addicted
Here in Central TX we've noticed fewer colonies this year as well. And we're DELIGHTED! They have been such a pain to deal with in the past ... have even taken down young chicks. Terrible.
We're noticing black/red ants that we haven't seen before ... wondering if they're effecting the fire ant population?
We're noticing black/red ants that we haven't seen before ... wondering if they're effecting the fire ant population?
