Fire Ants and Cattle
Almost half of the agricultural land in Florida is involved in cattle production, with a population of more than 886,000 cows and calves. This makes protecting livestock from fire ants a never-ending problem.
Fire Ant Control, LLC is a recognized specialist in controlling red fire ants on properties ranging from small residential lots to thousands of acres. Careful application of our potent, food-like granular bait kills the ant colonies from the inside out.
About Fire Ants
Red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) were unintentionally introduced into the United States more than 85 years ago aboard cargo ships from South America. Since then, they have invaded more than 360 million acres across the southeastern U.S., California and New Mexico, and they continue to spread.
Fire ants build nests outdoors in mounds of soil and live beneath them in elaborate networks of tunnels that may extend as far as 25 feet. Favorite nesting grounds include open, sunny areas, and mounds are commonly found around stumps and trees, in rotting logs and under sidewalks, as well as in lawns, parks, playgrounds, golf courses, athletic fields, meadows, pastures, and cultivated fields.
Red imported fire ants sting to protect their colony from invaders and to capture prey. When a fire ant mound is disturbed, hundreds of worker ants will swarm out of the nest and aggressively sting humans and animals standing nearby, first sinking their mandibles into the skin and then injecting a venom known as Solenopsin into their victims.
Fire ants can be deadly to farm animals, especially very young animals, caged animals, and those that are old and unable to move out of harm’s way. In cattle operations, they can injure and kill newborn calves by stinging soft moist tissues, including the eyes.
Fire ants also cause extensive damage to electrical equipment and equipment used for hay production. They chew on insulation and can cause short circuits in air conditioning, lighting and other mechanical equipment. On farms and ranches, fire ants cause problems by getting into livestock feed and stinging workers in the area.
Fire Ant Control Has the Best Solution
At Fire Ant Control LLC, we know how to kill fire ants! The granular bait we use contains an insect growth regulator that sterilizes the queen and is approved for use around people, pets, livestock, and on pastures, hay fields and farmland.
Worker ants eat the bait and carry it down into the colony, causing the fire ants to die naturally. Extermination is not immediate but, once the queen is sterilized, the entire colony will disappear, and no new ants will be born.
Our treatment will rid 85-95% of the fire ants from your residential, commercial or agricultural property for four months at a time, or your money back.
Because fire ants can fly, however, they will eventually come back. For this reason, we recommend having your property treated three times a year to prevent further fire ant colonization.
Fire Ant Control’s bait is regulated and approved for use on public and private lands. It is superior to sprays and insecticides that are short-lived (only killing surface ants), sometimes dangerous, and very expensive.
If fire ants are disturbing or harming your cattle or other livestock, find out how Fire Ant Control, LLC can help you get rid of them. Call us today at (239) 312-8200 for a free estimate!