
A few insecticides are marketed as injectants. In
this case they may be injected using a "termite rig" with a
soil injector tip, a standard 1-3 gallon compressed air sprayer with a fire
ant injector tip, or a special aerosol soil injector system. The mound is injected
in a circular pattern, usually at 3 to 10 points. A new product combines
insecticide treatment with high temperature vapors to increase
Fumigants are readily available in most states for fire ant control. These are usually more effective than surface applications or mound drenches but are also more expensive and can be dangerous if not handled properly.
Depending on the state a number of fire ant baits are available. These can be used for treating individual mounds or for broadcast treatment of larger areas. The bait should be uniformly applied around the mound 0.3 to 1.0 meters away and not on the mound itself. Baits are much slower acting than the control methods listed above but are generally safer, cheaper and more effective in the long run.
Water - The use of
boiling water has been examined on several different occasions resulting in
varying degrees of success. In one experiment over a 50% of treated mound were
eliminated by pouring approximately 3 gallon of hot water directly into the
mound. The use of steam produced by a
steam generator produced similar results.
Regardless both techniques are far less effective the use of drenches,
fumigants, granular formulation or baits are
cumbersome in the field are not practical when dealing with large
populations of these pests. Area wide flooding with water has not proven to be
effective, impractical in most situations and can led to spreading of the
population due to the rafting ability of these insects.
Broadcast Treatments - A number of fire ant baits (Figure 10) are commercially available for broadcast treatments (again depending on the state). Baits are composed of an inert carrier-attractant (corn carrier and soybean oil) and toxicant. The active ingredient (either a slow-acting insecticide or a