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PostPosted: Tue Nov 18, 2003 11:43 am 
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Joined: Sat May 03, 2003 10:48 am
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Location: Arlington
Is there a preferred time frame between drenching a fire ant mound and the next watering? I want to make sure I get the maximum effect out of the Anti Fuego and don't want to drench mounds when rain is in the forcast if the rain will lessen the effect of the drench.

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PostPosted: Tue Nov 18, 2003 2:55 pm 
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Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2003 10:51 pm
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Location: Garland, Texas
I found an ideal time for treament is right after a good soaking rain. The ants have carried the larvae to the upper areas of the bed.

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PostPosted: Wed Nov 19, 2003 7:05 am 
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Location: Arlington
I agree that treating the mounds after a rain is the most effective. I was just wondering if I had to keep an eye on the next rain. I've chosen fire ant control as the quickest, most visable means of proving organics here at work.


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PostPosted: Wed Nov 19, 2003 12:31 pm 
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Location: Garland, Texas
I don't worry about rain (really haven't had much to worry about here in the DFW metromess). AFAIK, other than the alleged repelling properties of molasses, there is no residual killing effect from these products.

To clarify my view of molasses as a repellent to fire ants. I have applied dried molasses heavily atop a fire ant bed, with no effect. I have also done the same procedure and then watered it in, again the ants appeared undeterred.

However, using a soil drench product (I use Rhode's Green Sense) it will definitely "kill" the bed in very short order.

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PostPosted: Wed Nov 19, 2003 3:33 pm 
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Location: Arlington
Thanks Mr. Clean. The drench is working very well for me also. I've cleared out about 2 acres so far. Started out mixing 2 gallons at a time, moved up to 25 gallon batches now :)


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PostPosted: Wed Jan 28, 2004 10:00 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jan 28, 2004 9:35 pm
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Location: Corsicana
We find it completely effective to fill a container half full of cow manure, fill on up with water, let set a few days, and then pour full strength on the ant beds. It makes them disappear! Refill the container and keep ready. The manure stays potent for a long time. We make it in plastic syrup tubs that cow feed comes in, but a five gallon bucket would work as well.


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 Post subject: KILL FIRE ANTS!!
PostPosted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 10:24 am 
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Joined: Wed Mar 03, 2004 10:10 am
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Location: Dallas, TX
I'm a newby on the site and I have an immediate need. I set up a hotbed last fall with soil heating coils for starting seeds this spring. Finally got into it last weekend and found a healthy fire ant colony inside. I read your posts about Rhodes Green Sense kiling fire ants quickly. Does that mean within a few days? And will the manure drench or molasses evict them within a few days? What is the Anti-Fuego? A commercial drench? My winter lettuce and carrot garden helped me get through the cold weather, but I'd sure like to get some veggie and flower seeds in this weekend - weather permitting!

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 Post subject: Fire ant
PostPosted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 11:06 am 
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Joined: Wed May 21, 2003 5:33 pm
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Location: Dallas,TX
Hi guys! Just thought I'd put in my two cents here. Both the Green Sense product and the Auntie Fuego are great products but the consistent use of the molasses and cornmeal is what changes the soil to a condition that keeps them gone. Let me tell you from experience over the last few years that adding horticultural cornmeal to the mix makes it last! I have a friend in west Texas that used molasses and hort. cornmeal spread on and watered in around her stock tank. With the manure on the ground to provide beneficial microbes, it fired up the soil so much it killed off the mounds and has kept away new beds for over a year now. So her livestock can visit the tank without being stung.

I don't have fire ants. I haven't had them for years. I am sure new queens fly into my yard and try to establish mounds, but they can't because I have such active soil that the microbes kill them off before they can establish. I regularly apply molasses and cornmeal - molasses about once a month and cornmeal 2 times per year. I've killed off ant beds that were there for years at my kids' schools, and they are still gone after 3 years.

Putting dry molasses on a mound won't work because you need moisture to release the sugars to the soil microbes so they can get active; that's the trick. Putting dry molasses on a large area and watering or letting the rain do it will make a difference. Regular application will make a long term difference. It works. I promise.

Stand back and get some perspective. You can compare the treatment of mounds to the treatment of soil in general to your own health. Taking antibiotics when you get sick instead of maintaining health so that you don't get sick in the first place. So take the antibiotics to get well, and then be proactive in maintaing health so you don't get sick again! Translation to soil & ants: Kill off the existing beds, then treat the soil so that new beds can't establish. You have to be consistent but it pays off.

Kathe :D


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PostPosted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 1:13 pm 
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Location: Arlington
Donslo - Yes, Anti Fuego is a commercial mix of H.G.'s fire ant killer recepi (sp). It contains orange oil, molasses and compost tea. I just started using it again for the season and it kills mounds fast. If you need the mound gone now, you may want to apply twice. I am following Kathe's advice for the long term eradication of fire ants from our commercial property :)


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PostPosted: Wed Mar 31, 2004 10:20 am 
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I have a flourishing fire ant colony in my compost bin. Any suggestions on how to get rid of them?


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PostPosted: Wed Mar 31, 2004 10:25 am 
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Joined: Wed May 21, 2003 5:33 pm
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Location: Dallas,TX
Spray it heavily with a liquid molasses mix. Don't worry about turning it because you are likely to get stung, just punch a hole or two down into it and make sure the spray gets down there. I'd use 4 oz. per gallon and really wet it down. It will fire up the microbes so much the ants will beat a very hasty retreat. Add a little compost tea to make sure you ahve lots of happy microbes too. Just a half cup will do the trick. This will work well and won't kill off your beneficials like auntie fuego or greensense with orange oil will.

Kathe


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PostPosted: Wed Mar 31, 2004 11:08 am 
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Joined: Wed Mar 03, 2004 10:10 am
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Location: Dallas, TX
I appreciate the responses to my Mar03 fire ant Q. I did try the compost/molasses/orange oil drench, and it worked pretty darned good! The first application probably decreased the visible colony by 80% (can't really call it a mound, because it was spread out over about three square feet and never really "mounded"). After a second application five days later the ants all disappeared (read "Die, sucker, die!!"), and I started some ornamentals on the 13th. Of course, by that time I didn't much need the soil heater, but the cold frame still helps control moisture levels and localizes watering of the seedlings.

My next question is "Where do I find reasonably-priced orange oil?" I used most of a small $6 bottle of the stuff - I think it was called TKO - on this application. Anybody know if "Goo-Gone", which is just d-limonene (i.e. orange oil extract) for removing stickers and paint, is safe to use?[/u]

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 Post subject: Orange oil
PostPosted: Wed Mar 31, 2004 5:49 pm 
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Joined: Wed May 21, 2003 5:33 pm
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Location: Dallas,TX
You can buy larger quantities of orange oil in lots of places; check the local Lowe's. They have a new bottle that's pretty well priced by Medina. By the way, don't know if you read my other posts but I know from experience that spreading horticultural cornmeal chases them off your property as long as you're organic. If you haven't tried it, do. You'll be happy.

Kathe


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