A colony of fire ants builds a mound in a lawn. Photo by Brennan Stutes

Summertime in Louisiana means many things including a lot of sunshine, high temperatures and large amounts of humidity but also wonderful garden landscapes and blooms of all sizes and colors. Even though school may be out for the summer, baseball pitches are still being thrown at Alex Box Stadium, and a cool glass of sweet tea or a refreshing slice of watermelon is a welcomed break from cutting the lawn or weeding the flower bed.

Not welcomed, however, is the annual backyard invasion by fire ants who will typically remain hidden until an unsuspecting gardener realizes much too late that they are covered in the swarm and have already been bitten many times. Fire ants, their unwanted colonies, as well as their painful and venomous bites are obviously a nuisance that many Louisianans encounter during the summer months. Even worse though, they can also negatively impact their immediate surroundings.

Fire ants are known to displace and even eliminate native species that nest and feed on the ground. Insects and spiders, as well as smaller reptiles and amphibians like lizards and frogs, have fallen victim to fire ant colonies. Perhaps even more frightening is that small mammals and birds are not safe either and have become prey to the fire ant mounds. The aggressive behavior towards other species living near the fire ant colony impacts the environment negatively because insects and other animals that typically pollinate plants are suddenly no longer around to do so. Fire ants, however, have an appetite for more than just insects as well as other neighbors of their mound. A popular item on the menu are seeds which fire ants will eat or otherwise damage. The outcome is a decline in plant species and other major ecosystem changes.

Fire ants have become a widespread problem in Louisiana and other parts of the country. States like Hawaii are quite concerned about the impact fire ants would have on their ecosystems. It appears then that something must be done about fire ants, and typically the answer to insect problems is pesticide. But which pesticide should you buy? The problem is not necessarily too few choices but rather too many. Companies sell many different pesticides with different brand names and different active ingredients to fight common pests you may encounter in your garden or flower bed. Adding to the complexity are the various forms the product can be bought in, for example, as a liquid, a granulate, a powder or even a gas. Basically, one cannot see the proverbial forest for the trees.

So, what is the best way to decide which product to buy? Typically, any purchasing decisions are made based on the price before other factors such as quantity or quality come into play. The most affordable option is typically also the most selected option. Maybe in this case the buying decision should be made based on another factor: Is the pesticide organic? The reason for this is relatively simple. Pesticides are technically a poison that kills the targeted pest. Some consumers may feel uncomfortable applying poison to their lawn where their children play or to their garden bed in which they grow peppers and tomatoes for consumption. A pesticide with the active ingredient Spinosad may be the solution here. Spinosad is a naturally occurring pesticide that is made by soil bacteria and can control a variety of pests including mosquitoes, fruit flies, spider mites, leaf miners, and most importantly, ants.

Pesticides with Spinosad as an active ingredient are available under a variety of brand names from various companies and promise to affect fire ants within 12 to 24 hours with guaranteed dead fire ants past the 24-hour mark. Even though it works quickly, it is nontoxic to humans in small amounts, is not considered a carcinogen and can be applied near fruit and vegetables grown for consumption without a second thought. Anyone that has been bitten by fire ants before knows of the pain that they can cause. This summer, help the ecosystem in your garden by removing fire ant colonies in an organic manner.