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My battle with cut/harvester ants

4,820 Views | 53 Replies | Last: 16 days ago by OnlyForNow
B-1 83
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AG
Harvester ants are easy - Amdro.

Cut ants are another matter. They don't eat leaves, they plaster them on the walls of their underground cavern (pickup front ends have been known to fall into abandoned ones), then they eat the fungus that grows on the leaves. If you know where some entrances exist, you can kill them. I have heard that you can cover as many entrances as you can, then center in on a main one with activity. Carefully dig out just enough that a room fogger will fit in the hole. Set the fogger off, point it down the hole, and heap some soil around it to seal it off. Watch for escaping fog to find additional entrances.
Being in TexAgs jail changes a man……..no, not really
Deerdude
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We still breed and release horned toads down in Encinal. As a kid a couple years ago, I caught the same one maybe a half dozen times over the years. He was missing half of one leg. It was fun to catch, drop on red ant bed and watch.
WheelinAg
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AG
B-1 83 said:

Harvester ants are easy - Amdro.

Cut ants are another matter. They don't eat leaves, they plaster them on the walls of their underground cavern (pickup front ends have been known to fall into abandoned ones), then they eat the fungus that grows on the leaves. If you know where some entrances exist, you can kill them. I have heard that you can cover as many entrances as you can, then center in on a main one with activity. Carefully dig out just enough that a room fogger will fit in the hole. Set the fogger off, point it down the hole, and heap some soil around it to seal it off. Watch for escaping fog to find additional entrances.


Lol, I might just do this for the entertainment value before I go the nuclear option.
B-1 83
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I have "witnessed it" multiple times.

I forgot - poke a small stick down the targeted entrance to keep it clear while you excavate for the fogger.
Being in TexAgs jail changes a man……..no, not really
canadianAg
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Will say the pet part is wrong. Killed my boxer with orthene and grape nuts trying to get rid of leaf cutter ants. So definitely be careful
OnlyForNow
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Fipronil (termidor) for leaf cutter ants.

Whatever ant poison you want for red harvester ants.

- Texas A&M Entomologist (2007/2009)
maroon barchetta
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canadianAg said:

Will say the pet part is wrong. Killed my boxer with orthene and grape nuts trying to get rid of leaf cutter ants. So definitely be careful
Chetos
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Why the OB got to always be killing
JB!98
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OnlyForNow said:

Fipronil (termidor) for leaf cutter ants.

Whatever ant poison you want for red harvester ants.

- Texas A&M Entomologist (2007/2009)

Thanks. The battle will commence tomorrow. I will skip the grape nuts for now out of respect for the neighborhood cats and foxes who are not involved in this conflict.
Today, unfortunately, many Americans have good reason to fear that they will be victimized if they are unable to protect themselves. And today, no less than in 1791, the Second Amendment guarantees their right to do so. - Justice Samuel Alito 2022
HTownAg98
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I have also "heard" that pouring two tablespoons of Orthene into the hole, and covering the hole with the business end of a leaf blower will do a number on leaf cutter ants.

I've also "heard" that methyl bromide is the absolute best on leaf cutter ants. The problem with it is that it's extremely dangerous and damn near impossible to get now.
maroon barchetta
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Chetos said:

Why the OB got to always be killing


No kidding.

"Ants are outdoors"

These ants are outdoors doing ant stuff.
WheelinAg
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AG
Chetos said:

Why the OB got to always be killing


For me personally, I don't want them getting out of control and damaging my pecan trees. Right now, they are pretty much contained in the river bottom area that only has native trees. I don't want them damaging any of those trees or getting up into my young orchard section.

If you haven't looked at the damage these guys can do, it's impressive. The neighbor 2 doors down said that when their bottom area on the river flooded during Harvey, it collapsed one of their nests and the depression was the size of a school bus. I'm imagining that's a little exaggerated.
OnlyForNow
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I mean you can't attribute that to the ants 100%.
Gunny456
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Harvester ants don't hurt trees.
CanyonAg77
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A reminder that we have a 15-year-old thread on horny toads.

https://texags.com/forums/34/topics/1939952/1
WheelinAg
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Gunny456 said:

Harvester ants don't hurt trees.


I'm talking about leaf cutter ants. The thread title is kind of confusing with both types.
Gunny456
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El Gato Charro
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I am trying to knock cutter ants back with a heavy dose of Bifenthrin. Bought the concentrate from tractor supply. It has moved them around but not knocked them out.
OnlyForNow
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See above.

Bifenthrin is just a generic contact pesticide.

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