Lucas Holman
Social media can be frustrating because the information shared is not always good.
There was a particular social media gardening influencer who was showing people how to beat squash bugs. The only hiccup was that he was not sharing correct information. He was sharing how to apply fire ant killer to your squash to prevent squash bugs.
The majority of fire ant killers cannot be used around food. Some chemicals are taken up by the plant and could be in the fruit or vegetable part of the plant. The label will have all required information and it’s the best starting point for the correct way to use a pesticide.
The list of fire ant chemicals that you can use around vegetables is small and they have to be used a very specific way.
This spring I’ve received more questions about fire ants in raised beds with vegetables. We will see more damage on dry days when the ants are looking for a water source.
Fire ant chemicals that are labeled for food crops are very specific as to which crops you can use them on. If you have raised beds with multiple plants growing in them, be sure to read the label on which crops that chemical can be used.
Esteem and Extinguish are two examples of pesticides that are very specific to the edible crops they are applied around. Because they are insect growth regulators, they can take a few months to work.
Fertilome makes a product called “Come and Get It.” This product contains spinosad and is a bait product that requires the foraging ants to take the product back to the nest. Spinosad is a natural product derived from soil bacterium. There are quite a few other pesticides that contain spinosad. Monterey Garden Insect Spray also contains spinosad and can be used around fruits and vegetables.
I’ve also seen people pour boiling hot water on the mounds to try to move the fire ants away from the beds. Keep the hot water away from any garden plant because this could also harm the crops. If you get the fire ants to form another mound away from the bed, you have more options to treat them in the lawn.
Be sure to read the application instructions. Some of the chemicals need to be applied on a dry day, while others work better if you pour them with water into the mound. The bait products are typically sprinkled around the mound so the foraging ants could take them back into the mound.
If you are unsure whether the ants are feeding that day or not, throw a chip or a hot dog on the ground near the mound. After a few minutes, if there are ants feeding on it, then it is a good day to spread the fire ant bait.
Discuss with your local extension agent if you have a unique situation and they’ll be glad to help you out!
Lucas Holman is the UT Horticulture Extension Agent, Wilson County. Contact him at (615) 444-9584 or Lholman1@utk.edu. The University of Tennessee Extension offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability and is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Through its mission of research, teaching and extension, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. ag.tennessee.edu
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