While many Texas gardeners suffer from a serious problem with the red imported fire ant, it’s great to know that Texans themselves have come up with the solution. And the great thing is that it’s natural and safe for your family. It’s called the “Texas Two Step” method of fire ant control.
The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), is a common pest for Texas gardeners. In addition to their painful bite, they can make large nests in your turf and can find their way into your home, compost piles, gardens, and even electrical equipment. Texas A&M University recently invented a method to deal with this common pest that is fully organic.
With a $2.5 million grant for red imported fire ant research, the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Texas A&M University System, the University of Texas, Texas Tech University, and the Texas Department of Agriculture came up with this unique system. First, you use a non-toxic bait insecticide spread throughout the infected area. Then you treat the individual mounds with step two.
After step one, the ants actually carry the bait back to the nest, where the queen becoming infected, dies, or become infertile. Step Two involves using a non-toxic, organic liquid insecticide product on individual mounds to kill any remaining ants that were not killed by the bait.
Please see this website for more details and instructions for applying the Texas Two Step to your garden or yard.
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