Nurseries

Red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) are highly adaptable pests that feed on a wide range of organic materials, including insects, animals, and plants. This makes them particularly problematic for nurseries, where they can disrupt plant growth, damage crops, and interfere with day-to-day operations.

At Fire Ant Control of Texas, we offer the most effective fire ant treatment for nurseries, providing a solution that targets the problem at its source. Unlike topical treatments that can permanently damage soil, grass, and delicate plants, our granular bait is designed to be both powerful and safe. The bait is carried directly to the heart of the colony, where it sterilizes the queen and eliminates the colony from the inside out.

By using our granular bait, you can protect your nursery from the harmful effects of fire ants while ensuring that your soil and plants remain healthy and unaffected. Our treatments are safe for the environment, effective, and designed to keep your nursery free from fire ants for the long term.

If you have a nursery that is dealing with fire ant infestations, contact Fire Ant Control of Texas today. Let us provide you with a tailored solution that will effectively control fire ants without causing harm to your crops or soil.

Issues Caused by Fire Ants

Fire ants pose a serious threat to nursery plants, trees, and overall operations, damaging both crops and infrastructure in a variety of ways. These pests are highly invasive and can have detrimental effects on plant health and productivity:

1. Seeking Warmth, Moisture, and Food: Fire ants invade nurseries in search of the resources they need to sustain their colony, including warmth, moisture, and nutrition.

2. Damaging Young Plant Stalks: Fire ants often dig into the base of young plant stalks, causing physical damage and weakening the plants.

3. Eating Germinating Seeds and Seedlings: Fire ants consume newly germinating seeds and seedlings, preventing young plants from establishing and growing.

4. Feeding on Buds and Fruits: Fire ants damage the buds and fruits of many crop plants, particularly those like okra, corn, and soybeans, limiting yields and productivity.

5. Girdling and Killing Young Plants and Trees: By girdling young, tender plants and trees, fire ants deprive them of vital nutrients, exposing their root systems to the air and causing them to dry out and die.

6. Distributing Seeds: Fire ants collect plant seeds and scatter them around their mounds, inadvertently causing plants to spread uncontrollably across your nursery.

7. Killing Native Beneficial Insects: Fire ants compete with and often kill beneficial insects such as bees and native ants, which are essential for pollination and overall ecosystem health.

8. Attacking Pollinators: Fire ants attack bees and interfere with the pollination process, further disrupting plant growth and agricultural output.

9. Damaging Equipment: Their hardened mounds can become tall and large enough to damage equipment and disrupt normal nursery operations, causing delays and potential cost increases.

10. Certification Requirements: For nurseries in USDA quarantine zones, fire ant treatment is mandatory to receive certification (an "ant stamp") before transporting nursery stock and sod. Failure to address fire ants may prevent the movement of plants and result in significant operational setbacks.

11. Health Risks for Workers: Fire ants pose a health risk to nursery workers, as their painful stings can lead to allergic reactions and medical issues, causing potential disruptions in labor and operations.

To protect your nursery from the damaging effects of fire ants, Fire Ant Control of Texas offers a safe, effective solution with granular bait that targets the colony’s queen, eliminating the infestation without harming your plants, trees, or workers. Our treatments are environmentally safe, and our methods ensure that your nursery remains fire ant-free, compliant with USDA regulations, and protected from future infestations.

Contact Fire Ant Control of Texas today to schedule a consultation and ensure your nursery is safe from the harmful effects of fire ants.

The Fire Ant Control of Texas Solution

Fire ants build intricate nests in the form of mounds of soil, with an extensive network of underground tunnels that house the colony, including multiple queens that reproduce rapidly—laying 1,500 to 5,000 eggs per day. Even if you don't see the mounds, fire ants are constantly expanding their colonies, and thousands of ants can live within a single fire ant colony.

To combat this persistent problem, Fire Ant Control of Texas offers a potent, food-like granular bait that targets the root of the issue—the queen. This bait is regulated and approved for use on public and private lands, including areas like nurseries, pastures, hay fields, and farmlands, and is safe to use around people, pets, and livestock.

The bait contains an insect growth regulator that sterilizes the egg-laying queens, preventing new ants from being born. Worker ants consume the bait and carry it back to the colony, where it works from the inside out. As a result, the queen is sterilized, the colony disappears, and no new ants are born. Within 6 to 10 weeks, the fire ant population will significantly decline, and the colony will be eliminated.

While you can attempt fire ant control yourself, Fire Ant Control of Texas offers the most effective and efficient solution. As licensed and trained pest management professionals, we know exactly how to address fire ant infestations, minimizing the risk and damage they can cause to humans, animals, and your valuable nursery.

If you’ve noticed fire ants on your property or are concerned about potential infestations, it’s crucial to act quickly. Reach out to Fire Ant Control of Texas today to identify the infestation and apply our proven, effective treatment before they cause further harm.