According to information released by the State of Tennessee, Rutherford County has remained on the “Imported Fire Ant Quarantined Counties” list for multiple years. For those who are unaware, fire ants are a common nuisance in Tennessee lawns, infesting residential neighborhoods, schools, playgrounds, golf courses, parks and more. University of Tennessee Extension is offering control recommendations to help keep these painful pests from ruining your summer fun.
“Fire ants are easy to disturb and their stings can cause anaphylaxis if someone is allergic,” says Kim Brown, UT Extension specialist. “To keep you and your community safe, we encourage using the two-step method of fire ant management.”
For step one, broadcast applications of bait-formulated insecticides should be conducted once in spring and again in fall to control colonies before they become established. Hand-held applicators can be used to distribute bait evenly across lawns, suppressing mounds by up to 90% when used according to label directions…