LFA - again

[trainerlady]

Deserteagle....kala st. Lots of them. Had to have area sprayed since they were coming in tub and biting my son and in kitchen we were swarmed. Hate the chemicals but my 5 year olds bites were aweful. Also the dogs were having bites too.

[unknownjulie]

I cheaply kill LFA's by buying a 10 lb bag of "outdoor pesticide granules" at HD and mixing it with peanut butter. I bought the cheapest 10 pound bag I could find and it appears to work (7 dollars). I also use the spinosad, but got impatient.

[steve1]

If you want to see some nice photos and detailed descriptions of this ant, here's a good place to start:
http://www.columbia.edu/itc/cerc/danoff-...nctata.htm There are also some excellent photos and descriptions here:
http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?fr=1&si=58

If you have some sort of ant in Hawaii and want to know which one it is, here's an online key you can to use help identify it:
http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?guide=Ants_Hawaii

If you want to know what more is being done locally there is a Little Fire Ant Team at the downtown Hilo Arboretum trying to work on solutions including the HAL bait and the Tango hormone disruptor. Lots of good info on this site including recipes and recommendations:
http://littlefireants.com/

There is no magic bullet for Lfa as of yet except to move somewhere they aren't yet. They are spreading rapidly on Big Island and it is only a matter of time before they are spread to all the inhabited Hawaiian islands. People are undoubtedly the best vector of spreading these ants to new habitats.

PS: if anyone knows a good place to buy high quality and inexpensive hand lenses to look at small insect details could you please post a comment back?

[ericlp]

Hmmm all areas are invested on Malolo with these ants. It is kind of bad this year. Bad year for slugs too.

I wonder what terminx would charge for .3 acre? My neighbors said they called some exterminator company and a few days later there were dead ants all over the place. They said it was like a red ash. Would be nice to kill em all really good to beat em back to get a fresh start.


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[deserteagle50ae]

Thanks trainerlady & ericlp for the heads up. Both Kala & Malolo are below where I live, getting a better picture of the infestation areas, I better keep the Terminex number nearby.

[shave_ice]

Anyone know if chickens eat LFA? Or anyone who has chickens have problems with LFA? I know they love a good centipede, but I'm sure LFA are different.

[Radiopeg]

Others here in Fern Acres have LFA here. So far we are OK, no invasion, I know it is coming, and dread it.

Peace and long life

[Wao nahele kane]

I've felt several ant stings/bites here. Not all are equal, for me the LFA feels like a mini bee sting but persists no longer than 15-20 minutes. I've noticed about 5 variety of small ants here and not all are fire ants, each have their own unique pestering qualities. Some love electrical contacts, I consider them kamikaze ants. Then we've some sugar ants that let you know when you've been a pig at the counter. There's some little beige ants that are extremely small and live in the trees and don't seem to do anything but their own thing. Then the lfa that love the trees and shrubby areas and when you enter they sting the crap out of you. Anyhow, that's been my general observation on some of the ants here.

[terracore]

quote:

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Originally posted by shave_ice

Anyone know if chickens eat LFA? Or anyone who has chickens have problems with LFA? I know they love a good centipede, but I'm sure LFA are different.

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Chickens don't eat LFA, but they do eat LFA bait, so having chickens around actually complicates the LFA conundrum. AFAIK, LFA only has one natural predator, and it only exists in central or south America.

There is a lot of research going on about modifying fungi to be effective against regular fire ants, hopefully some of that will translate to LFA control.

[Mindful]

Ok. Since nobody has provided any real info, I will add what I know. First, you have to take matters into your own hands. After about an hour of research on the Hilo ant Lab website (take notes) you will be informed. Here is what you do:
1st - You bait them. Amdro has a good bait. Use a spreader. this cannot get wet. Treat in the early morning (after the dew dries) or around 4-5 o'clock. this stuff only has about a 12 hour life so only treat when dry. Spread around the house and under it. Ants take the bait back to the colony and die.

Wait 2-3 weeks.
Apply a barrier treatment around the house 10-15 feet. Talstar (Bifentrin) is a good product. BTW, all the Terminex, etc. use this product. You can do it yourself for half the price. This product is designed to get wet. Once it does it spreads like an oil and any insect crossing the barrier dies. This is the same chemical all the professionals use when they spray the baseboards in your house. You can buy it at Garden Exchange and spray everything yourself inside where you have more control versus reckless spraying.

Maximum protection:
At this time (after 2 weeks or so), use the Tango spray for all the palm trees and anything above the ground. I'll skip all the details about preparing the mix. You can get it on their website. It contains S-Methoprene which makes the queens' eggs infertile. It takes a month or two to see results. That's why baiting first will help immediately, then the Tango will help long term.

Tango is expensive, but you can buy pints in Pahoa and the Co-Op in Hilo for $50/pint. Spend $100 and you will have 2-3 years worth of Tango.

Repeat this cycle 3-4 times a year.

Take the time to learn how to treat, don't wait until you get bit then start asking for help. You will be glad you took the time. Doing it yourself saves a ton of money, and your personal pride will keep your lot clear from pin to pin.