Treatment options, National Fire Ant Eradication Program

Fire ants are one of the world’s most invasive pests. They may be small, measuring 2 to 6 mm, but the insect is truly a nasty pest. The ant is the ultimate survivor. They can travel overground, fly, raft on waterways and hitch a ride in construction and landscaping materials.
What does this mean? It means we need to adapt with the pest. This is why it’s so important to have a range of fire ant treatment options and methods available, so we have the best chance of eradicating fire ants.
Fire ant treatment and delivery methods used should be determined on a case-by-case basis. This is not a one-size fits all approach for fire ant treatment. There are a range of fire ant baits available on the market, some of which are used by us. The baits are not harmful to humans or the environment when used according to labels and the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority.
You can use these baits to treat your property if you are a resident, primary producer or manage parklands, sports fields or recreational areas. Licensed pest managers can also use these treatments on behalf of the property owner or manager. Each product has a different active ingredients and are suitable for use in different situations.
The insect growth regulator or IGR is best used for proactive treatment for fire ants.
It’s made up of small pieces of corn grit soaked in soybean oil and the active ingredient, either s-methoprene or pyriproxyfen - commonly found in pet flea collars and used in mosquito control.
For best results, you should spread bait over open, sunny areas. This should be done every 12 weeks in spring, summer and autumn (that’s three times a year).
Spreading the bait can be done using a shaker product, hand spreader or using machinery on larger properties.
So, how does it work? The soybean oil used in this bait is very appealing to hungry fire ants.
They collect it and take it back to the colony, where it is eaten by the queen and other ants.
The IGR bait stops the queen from reproducing, causing the nest to die out. It can take 3-6 months for the nest to die completely.
Fast-acting bait is also a granular product, made up of the same corn grit. Unlike the IGR, fast-acting bait is not a preventative treatment. This is used to treat visible nests in areas recognised as highly infested. These baits are made up of indoxacarb, also found in common household pest control products.
The bait works when the worker ants feed the bait to the queen and the younger ants. Ants will begin to die with the whole nest destroyed within 1-4 weeks.
Follow the product label, making sure not to cover the nest with bait. There are also products on the market that have a mixture of IGR and fast-acting bait that can be used to treat large areas. If you follow the directions on the label, nests should start to die within days, with full nest death in 4 to 5 weeks.
Direct nest injection is a treatment method in which fire ant nests are injected with a liquid chemical product as fipronil. Fipronil is effective at very low application rates of 25 millilitres to 100 litres. Only licensed pest managers can use this treatment method.
Fipronil kills fire ants through ingestion and contact. The treatment starts working immediately. This method is generally used when a rapid response is needed.
We know a thing or two about fire ant treatment. We’ve learned a lot over the years. If you would like to join the fight against fire ants, by treating your own property, your worksite or a do it on behalf of someone else, we have a few tips:
Apply fire ant bait during the warmer months, typically between September and June. This is when the ants are actively looking for food. Store bait in a cool, dry place. When it is warm, apply bait in the afternoon, strong UV-light makes the bait break down faster. Don’t apply bait when it is raining or the ground is wet. Don’t water, mow for 48 hours after applying bait is applied. Don’t disturb land to be treated 48 hours before or after bait application.