I have read that fireants thrive because (among other reasons) our lawns no longer provide the native "weed" seeds our aboriginal ants eat. So I am letting my lawn go native. Am I nuts?
letting lawn go native to fight fireants
My lawn is native already and I still get fireants, even if they fire ants are there for the nitch of the lawns without seed they eat everyone around you will still have the other types of lawns and well in short the fire ants will keep coming even to your green island.
Imported fireants thrive mainly because they have had no enemies here to control their population. They are working on that problem. The best way to help native ant species is to control imported fireants and to minimize the disturbances to their natural habitat that humans cause. A lawn won't go native very easily, either. The turf grasses would have to be wiped out and native grasses would have to be planted. Not the easiest thing to do.
http://www.utexas.edu/features/archive/2004/ants.html
We apply beneficial nematodes to wipe out the fire ants. Works like a charm! Last year, we applied them 2 or 3 times. This year, we'll probably only do 2 applications, one now and then one in the fall. Wiped out our ant problems plus the ants that were growing in our neighbor's yard!
Stephanie
From what I understand, fire ants don't like competition. I went all-organic on my lawn a couple of years ago, which improved the population of beneficial nematodes. I still very seldom see fire ants on the fringes of my lawn and flowerbeds (and I'm very aggressive in eliminating them), but mostly I think they've migrated and settled in my neighbor's lawns, where the natural ecosystems are out of balance and they can thrive.
I've heard they don't like molasses, so you might try spreading a 50 lb bag of dried molasses. If nothing else, the beneficial nematodes will make good use of it.
Carla
I'd be afraid that much dried molasses would attract wild animals out here. I know from personal experience the coons love it! If worked into the soil and watered in good, that might be okay.
I use a Spinosad bait when fireants show up, but I seldom have to. This year I will use it, because the rains last year got things out of kilter.
This message was edited Mar 30, 2008 10:53 AM
You can also sprinkle dried molasses on the mound to spot treat. You don't necessarily have to do the whole yard unless you've got a yard-wide problem.
What kind of nematodes do you use and where can you buy them?
We buy them from Marshall Grain here in Fort Worth, but you can get them at any organic nursery.