[Image: Fire Ant]It's not too early for coaches and athletic directors to be thinking about the control of fire ants on the playing fields, espcially when the football season is right upon us.
Two good baits that are recommended for sports fields and playgrounds are Extinquish and Esteem.
Extinquish is an effective bait that eliminates fire ant colonies. It contains the insect growth regulator (IGR) S-Methopnene that affects a fire ant queen’s reproductive abilities. As existing workers die naturally, they are not replaced by a new generation. The queen eventually starves to death, and the entire colony is eliminated. Apply Extinquish at 1 to 1.5 pounds per acre broadcast or 3-5 tablespoons per individual mound.
Esteem is used the same way as Extinquish. The active ingredient in this bait is pyripnoxyfen and it is used at the rate of 1.5- 2 pounds per acre broadcast or 4-6 tablespoons per mound.