Texas Spring/Summer Thread

[MickeyDBC]

Just starting on this Don and there’s many choices.

We just recently, last couple of years, started seeing more Rio Grande Turkeys on the Ranch. Hadn’t seen a one in previous 10 years. One of my “Practices” will probably be creating some habitat for them.

Another one, of interest, is Imported Fire Ant control.

Also investigating honey bees, for pollination, not for honey.

Maybe build and maintain some bat boxes? I do woodworking so, that’s a natural.

I’m already improving deer habitat so can’t do that one.

Speaking of fire ants, we have one pasture (about 30 acres) that is eat up with them and the big harvester ants. This pasture is still pretty beat up by the last drought so we moved the cows off of it and I have been shredding/discing and dragging, and I am going to plant it in a summer cover crop next weekend (mostly soybeans, cowpeas, millet, and large sunflowers) to get some more organic matter and nitrogen in it and help with water infiltration. Anyone have a favorite ant bait that would work on this scale?

 

[lostcreekranch]

Speaking of fire ants, we have one pasture (about 30 acres) that is eat up with them and the big harvester ants. This pasture is still pretty beat up by the last drought so we moved the cows off of it and I have been shredding/discing and dragging, and I am going to plant it in a summer cover crop next weekend (mostly soybeans, cowpeas, millet, and large sunflowers) to get some more organic matter and nitrogen in it and help with water infiltration. Anyone have a favorite ant bait that would work on this scale?

Amdro, broadcast at about 1.5 lbs. / acre. Since it’s a bait, you can broadcast non-contiguous strips. You don’t have to cover entire pasture. The IFA’s will travel, easily, 150-200’ to get the bait as they forage.

Do you have a spreader?

This is what I use.

BEFCO - Products - Fertilizer spreaders - Hop

 

[MickeyDBC]

Amdro, broadcast at about 1.5 lbs. / acre. Since it’s a bait, you can broadcast non-contiguous strips. You don’t have to cover entire pasture. The IFA’s will travel, easily, 150-200’ to get the bait as they forage.

Do you have a spreader?

This is what I use.

BEFCO - Products - Fertilizer spreaders - Hop

I do have a spreader and have used Amdro before - I was just hoping that there was something better by now. Thanks for the tip. Guess I will put it out over the next couple of weeks.

It was funny about the fireant mounds when I was shredding. I have a 10' Shulte and you could feel the slip clutch kicking in when it hit a really big mound. But it did do a nice job smoothing the pasture.

 

[lostcreekranch]

I do have a spreader and have used Amdro before - I was just hoping that there was something better by now. Thanks for the tip. Guess I will put it out over the next couple of weeks.

It was funny about the fireant mounds when I was shredding. I have a 10' Shulte and you could feel the slip clutch kicking in when it hit a really big mound. But it did do a nice job smoothing the pasture.

Your cutter just slung out ants to create new colonies, worsening your problem. There’s nothing out there any better than Amdro. It’s not an overnight cure, nothing is. You have to be patient. Treat and wait minimum 2-3 months. Amdro is a bait, not a contact killer (which are useless long term).

You treat alternate strips annually.

 

[MickeyDBC]

Your cutter just slung out ants to create new colonies, worsening your problem. There’s nothing out there any better than Amdro. It’s not an overnight cure, nothing is. You have to be patient. Treat and wait minimum 2-3 months. Amdro is a bait, not a contact killer (which are useless long term).

You treat alternate strips annually.

I don't think that there could really be anymore there, there is a mound about every ten or so feet. I am going to finish discing and shredding this weekend and put out Amdro and then wait two weeks to put out the seeds. Hopefully that will slow the ants down enough that they don't eat everything. Figure I will do another application this fall and hopefully they will be under control by then before I put in a fall cover crop.

 

[lostcreekranch]

Lots of good info at TAMU and Texas Agri-Life on Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

Control Methods | Texas Imported Fire Ant Research and Management Project

https://fireant.tamu.edu/files/2014/03/ENTO_017.pdf

You’ll never get rid of them completely if your neighbors do nothing.

 

[two_bit_score]

Lots of good info at TAMU and Texas Agri-Life on Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

Control Methods | Texas Imported Fire Ant Research and Management Project

https://fireant.tamu.edu/files/2014/03/ENTO_017.pdf

You’ll never get rid of them completely if your neighbors do nothing.

Is it possible to start a fire ant war by throwing a shovelful of ants from one mound onto another so they will kill each other off?


TBS

 

[MickeyDBC]

Is it possible to start a fire ant war by throwing a shovelful of ants from one mound onto another so they will kill each other off?


TBS

If it is there is going to be WW3 out there because I slung a LOT of ants around.

 

[Bird]

I know I've posted it before, but an agriculture chemical dealer had me use Logic Fire Ant Bait. I can't remember just what it cost, but I know I spread it at the rate of one pound per acre; just looked like yellow corn meal, which was the basic ingredient. It would "appear" to have gotten rid of the fire ants until the next rain and a few new mounds would show up.

 

[two_bit_score]

If it is there is going to be WW3 out there because I slung a LOT of ants around.

:drillsergeant::m1helmet::ant::ant: