Fire Ant Treatments
 There are two kinds of fire ants -- single and multiple queen forms. Workers in single-queen colonies are territorial, while workers in
multiple-queen colonies move freely from one mound to another. Areas infested with single queen colonies contain 40 to 150 mounds per acre,
and usually no more than 7 million ants. But in areas with multiple queen colonies, 200 or more mounds may be home to 40 million ants per
acre. (picture of fire ant)Fire ant mounds can be built in most any type of soil, but the ants prefer open, sunny areas such as lawns,
parks, pastures, meadows and cultivated fields. Depending on the type of soil, mounds can be up to 18 inches high. They can also be formed
in rotting logs, around stumps and trees and in or under buildings. Moisture is key to fire ant survival. When the weather is hot and dry,
they burrow deep into the soil to find moisture and cooler temperatures. When it's cold, they burrow down to stay warm. But in warm, damp
weather (spring or fall), fire ants are most likely to be active, foraging near the soil surface and building mounds. Colonies often move
from one site to another. Queens need only half a dozen workers to start a new colony, and a new mound can develop several hundred feet
from the old site overnight.
Controlling fire ants with TopChoice from Bayer Environmental Science
TopChoice is a granular insecticide that provides unsurpassed control of fire ants. Available only through lawn care or pest control professionals, TopChoice offers several important advantages:
 Apply any time of year. TopChoice works all year long. Fire ants are most active when the temperature is cool and when the
ground is moist. In hot, dry weather, deeply embedded ants are not as apt to crawl over or through the insecticide granules. However,
applications made to turf under these conditions will be "warehoused" until the ants begin to actively build mounds and forage on the
surface. And irrigation or rainfall will bring ants to the surface where they will come into contact with the active ingredient.
Long residual effect. TopChoice kills existing colonies of fire ants and prevents new colonies from establishing for up to one year.
After its initial release into the soil profile, TopChoice binds tightly to the soil creating a lasting barrier, one that's not affected
by heavy rainfall. Because it acts gradually, TopChoice kills foraging workers, but not before they carry the insecticide back to the
colony and spread it to the queens and other ants.
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OUR GUARANTEE
If you discover
fire ant mounds
in your yard within
12 months of our application, we will re-treat at no additional cost.
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