building methods for Little Fire Ants?

[unknownjulie]

My new house is infested with some type of ant. I really have no idea what it is, but I am experimenting with the spinosad that I am putting on apple cores that would be thrown away anyhow. I just lay those around for a day or two. I'll see how it works. The whole idea is to get something back into the nest that kills the queen. I am assuming LFA's have queens?

[csgray]

Bananahead,
With all due respect, mosquitoes are nothing compared to LFAs. LFA bites and stings last for weeks and can cause intense welts and open sores, in addition they can blind pets which mosquitoes don't do. If you are not living with large scale infestations in your neighborhood you don't know what it is like to live with LFAs on your land and in your vicinity. The state will only take them seriously when the infest Oahu but they are a serious problem in some parts of Puna.

Carol

[unknownjulie]

Well, have not seen an ant for a couple days now. The house was pretty well infested prior to the spinosad. So, I have had excellent results using this (and I think it's pretty much all natural)- with both the "mound" fire ants in Texas and the little red ants that were previously infesting my house here in Hilo. I thankfully do not have LFA's here, but have heard they are on my lot in orchidland. I used pre-made bait in Texas, but could not find any to use here, so bought the halfgallon liquid of it (via internet)- that is meant to be broadcast sprayed on crops. I just dribbled it on apple cores and strategically placed then all over my house and carport, on ant trails, and left them there for a few days. Someone else mentioned that this can be very harmful to bees, so if you have beneficial bees around, I guess you should not use it.

[csgray]

Everyone has beneficial bees around, honey bees travel up to three miles from their hive to collect pollen.

Carol

[unknownjulie]

I am thinking that putting a drizzle of spinosad on an apple core and placing it in your house should not impact flying, or hive-living beneficial bees. If somehow it does, please let me know and I will quit using it.