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quote:
Originally posted by bananahead
part of the problem with every one of these damn threads ... is people here still call these ant FIRE ANTS...
They are NOT Fire Ants... the correct name is Electric Ants, and thats what the rest of the World call these little fakas...
aloha
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_ant
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save our indigenous and endemic Hawaiian Plants... learn about them, grow them, and plant them on your property, ....instead of all that invasive non-native garbage I see in most yards... aloha
You might want to tell the folks at the little fire ant lab they are using the wrong name: littlefireants.com They are only the local experts on this pest, so I am sure they will welcome you setting them straight.
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AFAIK "electric ant" is the Aussie name for these hellspawn creatures. The rest of the English speaking world calls them little fire ants. Even the referenced article says they are also called little fire ants.
"The electric ant, also known as the little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata..."
potato, po-tot-oh
Next time you're looking for a product effective on Wasmannia auropunctata, good luck finding anything labeled for "electric ants". I couldn't find anything in the EPA database referencing "electric ants".
The layperson nomenclature for these insects are based on what people perceive what the sting feels like. I don't know why the Aussies think it feels like an electric shock (it doesn't). It's more of a burning sensation. I'll just call them LFA.
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You are so right about the Amdro having a short period of effectiveness. You definitely do not want to apply it late in the day when the ants are getting ready to retire because it won't be effective during their next active cycle.
There is a fire ant bait called Advion that contains the same active ingredient as Provaunt but the HAL said the results were inconsistent, so they ranked it low. Their highest ranked bait granule is Siesta and I can say from experience is not only the best at attracting and killing them, it also holds up well in moisture. Apparently it is effective even if it gets wet, though I've never put it to that test.
"Siesta Insecticide Fire Ant Bait is the only sodium blocker Insecticide that does not require metabolism for bioactivation. It acts on the nervous system, where it blocks the voltage dependent sodium neuron channel. Ants will soon stop feeding, start becomming immobile and then eventually die.
Chemical Family: Semicarbazone
Mode of Action: Metaflumizone is part of a new Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC) Mode of Action Chemical Group, 22B
Behavior in Ants: Acts through ant ingestion with limited contact activity. Feeding cessation begins quickly - within 15 minutes to 12 hours of ant recruitment of the bait. Insects will die within 72 hours."
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While not LFA, here is a video of a man getting a stinging red ant species dumped onto his crotch. (Safe for work)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wlVrnF_Uws
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quote:
Originally posted by volcanogirl
Yikes I have a lot to learn.
I wonder if the borax and sugar solution would work?
Borax works just fine to kill just about anything.1 cup per quart is what I use... I've yet to have a problem with bugs.
Got an ants nest.. Dump a gallon of borax mix on it.. Problem solved.
Work..Consume...Obey - There's your meaning of life....
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Although they do colonize in the ground, LFA don't have "mounds" and live in trees. Colonies infesting a gigantic albezia can rain down red ant hell over an area larger than an acre. How do you dump borax on that?
Cute video I just found:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0MEzMJb0XU
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Squirt bottle ..or one of those feeder bottles you connect to a garden hose...or if you don't have running water a pump-up sprayer does it. ( I use all three methods). If you spray the ants you see they will at sometime go back to their nest with whatever you sprayed on them. Read up on it if you need to. But it works.
Work..Consume...Obey - There's your meaning of life....
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If you read up this thread a few posts it has already been posted that the Hawaii Ant Lab tried that technique and it didn't work.
You can try all the kinder, gentler, 1000 points of lights techniques with these ants. Maybe even try to meditate with them and call out Namaste. But so far the only thing that is actually effective is brute-force-cutting-edge-hippies-don't-like insecticides.
These aren't your grandparents ants. They reproduce using concurrent regular sexual, asexual parthenogenesis, and a type of never-before-seen method where the male can force the queen to bear his clones. All at once.
The state ant lab's web site is
http://www.littlefireants.com/
