Ha Ha! Don't worry, Charlie, I'm not THAT dumb. They became a problem
in northern Mississippi about the time I left there in the early 1950s,
so I've encountered them before. As long as they stay at the back of my
yard, they don't really bother me. :-)
Jim Nichols
Tullahoma, TN USA
On 10/9/2015 2:33 PM, Charles Geilfuss wrote:
Jim,
Stick your hand in the mound. If every ant in the mound that touches
your skin immediately bites you repeatedly, they are Fire Ants. None of our
native species of ant will do this; most will simply crawl around on you. I
say this in jest though, do not actually attempt this, Jim.
Charlie
On Fri, Oct 9, 2015 at 3:22 PM, Jim Nichols <jhnichols@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I'm not sure that these we have are really the "real" fire ant, but they
are a real pest. It has been a while since I examined them closely, so I
can't give appearance details.
Jim Nichols
Tullahoma, TN USA
On 10/9/2015 2:12 PM, Charles Geilfuss wrote:
I'm surprised you have them, Jim. I would have thought your winters would
be cold enough to keep them in check.
Charlie
On Fri, Oct 9, 2015 at 3:01 PM, Jim Nichols <jhnichols@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
I just noticed a fresh mound at my back property line. I guess I better
give it another try.
Jim Nichols
Tullahoma, TN USA
On 10/9/2015 1:58 PM, Charles Geilfuss wrote:
They can only be managed, Jim, not eliminated. I regularly patrol my
lawn
and place poison bait on the nascent mounds. Helps if the neighbors do
the
same as it takes longer for them to move back in. Clemson University has
been experimenting with a South American fly that hunts them and they
are
effective, but officials are rightly reluctant to introduce another
non-native species. That plan often backfires.
Charlie
On Fri, Oct 9, 2015 at 2:50 PM, Jim Nichols <jhnichols@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
As you know, Charlie, hardly anything can kill them. Commercial ant
poison doesn't seem to bother them.
Jim Nichols
Tullahoma, TN USA
On 10/9/2015 1:43 PM, Charles Geilfuss wrote:
One of the odd things to come out of this weather event. Around
here
we
have a particularly nasty species of ant called Fire Ants. They were
introduced into Texas from South America back in the 1940's and over
time
have spread all over the southeast. They are very aggressive and have
a
nasty bite that forms a pustule that is slow to heal. Any hope that
this
weather event would drown these suckers was dashed when someone saw
this:
http://abc7.com/weather/ants-form-floating-island-to-combat-flooding-in-south-carolina/1021709/
Charlie
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