Fire Ants

NEW - A revolutionary approach to fire ant control
Fire ants Over the last 70 years, red imported fire ants have become entrenched in the southern United States. And they are expanding their territories into California and northward on both coasts.

Now, new TopChoice from Bayer Environmental Science offers homeowners, landscapers and groundskeepers new hope. Available only through lawn care or pest control professionals, one broadcast application of TopChoice effectively controls fire ants for a full year. Existing fire ants in the treated area are killed and new colonies are prevented from forming.

Understanding Fire Ants

There are two kinds of fire ants -- single and multiple queen forms. Workers in single-queen colonies are territorial, while workers in multiple-queen colonies move freely from one mound to another.

Areas infested with single queen colonies contain 40 to 150 mounds per acre, and usually no more than 7 million ants. But in areas with multiple queen colonies, 200 or more mounds may be home to 40 million ants per acre.

Fire ant mounds can be built in most any type of soil, but the ants prefer open, sunny areas such as lawns, parks, pastures, meadows and cultivated fields. Depending on the type of soil, mounds can be up to 18 inches high. They can also be formed in rotting logs, around stumps and trees and in or under buildings.

Moisture is key to fire ant survival. When the weather is hot and dry, they burrow deep into the soil to find moisture and cooler temperatures. When it's cold, they burrow down to stay warm. But in warm, damp weather (spring or fall), fire ants are most likely to be active, foraging near the soil surface and building mounds.

Colonies often move from one site to another. Queens need only half a dozen workers to start a new colony, and a new mound can develop several hundred feet from the old site overnight.

How TopChoice® Can Work For You!

Controlling fire ants with TopChoice from Bayer Environmental Science

TopChoice is a granular insecticide that provides unsurpassed control of fire ants. Available only through lawn care or pest control professionals, TopChoice offers several important advantages:

. Apply any time of year. TopChoice works all year long. Fire ants are most active when the temperature is cool and when the ground is moist. In hot, dry weather, deeply embedded ants are not as apt to crawl over or through the insecticide granules. However, applications made to turf under these conditions will be "warehoused" until the ants begin to actively build mounds and forage on the surface. And irrigation or rainfall will bring ants to the surface where they will come into contact with the active ingredient.

. Long residual effect. TopChoice kills existing colonies of fire ants and prevents new colonies from establishing for up to one year. After its initial release into the soil profile, TopChoice binds tightly to the soil creating a lasting barrier, one that's not affected by heavy rainfall. Because it acts gradually, TopChoice kills foraging workers, but not before they carry the insecticide back to the colony and spread it to the queens and other ants.

. Unique mode of action. Fipronil (the active ingredient in TopChoice) acts at the GABA receptors of insects, "switching off" nerve impulses and causing severe disruption of the insect's nervous system.

. Controls secondary pests. Besides providing effective control of fire ants for one year, TopChoice also controls mole crickets for four months, nuisance ants for three months, and fleas and ticks for one month.
High safety profile. TopChoice is selectively toxic to insects, and optimum control is achieved with extremely low dose rates. Because of its selective effects, there are no concerns about family or pets when TopChoice is applied by a professional.

TopChoice Stands Up To University Testing

Independent testing confirms TopChoice effectiveness. Ten studies by Texas A&M University have proven TopChoice is a revolution in Fire Ant control

Extensive testing demonstrates year-long - and more - fire ant control

Across the fire ant belt, independent research confirms the ability of TopChoice to kill existing fire ants and create a zone of exclusion that prevents new mounds from forming for one year.

Talstar G vs. TopChoice
Homer Collins, Station Leader, Imported Fire Ant Station, United States Department of Agriculture, compared the effectiveness and longevity of Talstar G versus TopChoice at Slidell, La., in 1998. Results show a single application of TopChoice producing one year of relatively consistent fire ant control. Talstar G controlled 90 percent of mounds for the first month after treatment, but dropped to zero percent after two months.

Amdro vs. TopChoice
Mac Horton, Director, Sandhill Research & Education Center, Clemson University, conducted a year-long test in 1998 comparing Amdro and TopChoice. One month post-treatment, Amdro had achieved 90 percent control of fire ant mounds, but its effectiveness dropped off precipitously for the remainder of the year. The efficacy of TopChoice, on the other hand, increased from 65 percent control one month post-treatment to a consistent 90 percent or better control for the remainder of the year.

Amdro vs. TopChoice
Charles Barr, Texas A&M Extension specialist, compared the efficacies of Amdro and TopChoice in a 1997 trial. At 21 days post-treatment, TopChoice had eliminated nearly 90 percent of fire ant mounds versus a 70-percent kill from Amdro. By 84 days, TopChoice had attained a 95-98 percent kill level, which remained consistent for the remainder of the 364-day trial. In contrast, by 84 days post treatment, Amdro had killed 90 percent of fire ant mounds, but its effectiveness then dropped off steadily for the remainder of the trial.

Controlling fire ants with TopChoice from Bayer Environmental Science

TopChoice is a granular insecticide that provides unsurpassed control of fire ants. Available only through lawn care or pest control professionals, TopChoice offers several important advantages.