Harvester Ants
HARVESTER ANTS - commonly called stinging ants, cow killers, giant fire ants, giant red ants, army ants, field ants, and circle ants. This is a severe pest in the Southern U.S. and out west. They tend to be mistaken for Fire Ants but they have no relation and are much larger plus their nests are different. They are called Harvester Ants because they hoard seeds and tend to harvest out a circle of area in turf a few feet in diameter with their entrance hole in the center of this circle of bare ground. They can be dangerous because they are ferocious and of the severe reactions caused by their stings which can be quite painful and dangerous to individuals who are allergic to them. Ants belong to the order Hymenoptera just like bees and wasps so if people are allergic to them then they will be to ants also. They can kill young wildlife and saplings and their stings produce good size welts and depending on the persons reaction and the number of stings received the symptoms could be much worse requiring hospitalization.
Biology - This is one of the larger ants. Workers are 5-7 mm long and are red to reddish-brown. Once the reproductives fly out of the nest and mate the male usually dies and the now-fertilized queen returns to the ground to search for a place to nest. She will reproduce worker ants for 10 -15 years until her death.
Nests and Habits - their nests are below ground and can be easily found by looking for a circle of bare ground with their entrance in the center of it or by following the line of ants coming out of it and traveling across the field or turf. Their nest can extend several feet below ground and they dont have the fire ant type mound so drenches usually do not work.
Control - most controls for Fire ants will work for these ants also and there are several to choose from such as baits like Extinguish Plus Fire Ant Bait, DuPont Advion Fire Ant Bait and Maxforce Fire Ant Bait. Extinguish Plus has the added advantage of an Insect Growth Regulator in it to sterilize the queens. Maxforce and Niban granular baits are very good general baits for ants and other insects, Advance Dual Choice Ant Bait Stations, Gourmet Ant Gel Bait Syringe, and Drax Dual Ant Bait Syringe are excellent for the ants that happen to come indoors. Liquid residual type insecticides and aerosols will also kill ants indoors and out but are usually only a quick fix. You seldom get the queen or the majority of the colony so the problem usually comes back. But these are good to have when you need that quick kill for instant relief. Just make sure not to spray around any bait product you have put out because the ants might avoid the bait then. You can also use the liquid residuals to spray barrier treatments. Some good choices are Onslaught, Talstar Pro, Demand CS, Suspend SC, Demon WP, and Cynoff WP. Some good aerosol residuals are PT Cy-Kick, PT 221L, CB D-Force HPX, CB Intruder, CB Invader, and EcoPCO AR-X. All are excellent with long residual activity and should work for weeks depending on conditions such as rainfall, temperature, etc. Always remember to read all chemical labeling before using.
Geographic Location(s): Florida, Southeastern U.S., and out west towards Texas and Arizona.
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