Add fire ant killer before, during, or after mowing?

Trailltrader

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  • / Add fire ant killer before, during, or after mowing?
OK, I'm completely new at this- purchased my first home, roughly 1 acre of grass and 1/2 acre of tree's and shrubs.

My question is: Do I want to put down bug/ant killer then mow the lawn, mow the lawn with a spreader behind it to immediately put down the bug/fire ant killer, or do mow, then put down the bug/fire ant killer in a separate operation? I don't know what the procedure is so I'm asking- Please advise! Thank You
 

Spindifferent

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  • / Add fire ant killer before, during, or after mowing?
I would mow first, and then place the ant bait on the mound after mowing so that the bait is not dispersed by the mower. Try and place the bait so that you'll have a couple days without rain after spreading so that the ants can forage for the dry bait, eat it, and then perish. Repeat as necessary. :smile:
 

Pumper54

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  • / Add fire ant killer before, during, or after mowing?
Read the directions on the Fire ant poison first, Then I would mow and then spread the poison around/on the mounts as per the directions. Most fire ant poison is not a broad cast type.
Tom
 

Trailltrader

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  • / Add fire ant killer before, during, or after mowing?
Read the directions on the Fire ant poison first, Then I would mow and then spread the poison around/on the mounts as per the directions. Most fire ant poison is not a broad cast type.
Tom
This is true; however, "Hi Yield Bug Blaster II" does fire ants which is the #1 issue I'm having, followed by tic's. Near as I can figure it from reading all the instructions on my spreader (http://www.agri-fab.com/Portals/0/Manuals/45-04632.pdf ) and Hi Yield bug Blaster II (http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/msds/33326 Bug Blaster Approved 10-01-10.pdf ) seem's to be a #5 setting (Max flow, tractor not to exceed 6MPH). I just didn't know if I should apply the granules first, then mow, or if I can mow with the spreader right behind the machine so I'm doing both operations at the same time, or if I should mow first, and then cover it with the Bug Blaster?

I'm sorry for such nOOb questions- but I've never owned a lawn before, and I'm 56 years old. House ownership is new for both the wife and I. ***laughs*** Had I been 30 years younger I'm sure my ignorance and arrogance would have prevented these questions.
 

Trailltrader

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  • / Add fire ant killer before, during, or after mowing?
I would mow first, and then place the ant bait on the mound after mowing so that the bait is not dispersed by the mower. Try and place the bait so that you'll have a couple days without rain after spreading so that the ants can forage for the dry bait, eat it, and then perish. Repeat as necessary. :smile:

I was thinking that; but "how soon" afterward? I mean with the blades spinning in front, and 4 feet back is the spreader doing it at the same time?
 

BlazNT

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  • / Add fire ant killer before, during, or after mowing?
My personal prefrence is mow then broadcast. Just made since. I did not want to blow any of it around.
 

Pumper54

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  • / Add fire ant killer before, during, or after mowing?
I would mow then go back over the yard with the spreader. To get a good cut you may have to go over the same area more then once and if you are dragging the spreader around behind then you would be wasting the bug killer. Just my .02 cents
Tom
 

bertsmobile1

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  • / Add fire ant killer before, during, or after mowing?
This is true; however, "Hi Yield Bug Blaster II" does fire ants which is the #1 issue I'm having, followed by tic's. Near as I can figure it from reading all the instructions on my spreader (http://www.agri-fab.com/Portals/0/Manuals/45-04632.pdf ) and Hi Yield bug Blaster II (http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/msds/33326 Bug Blaster Approved 10-01-10.pdf ) seem's to be a #5 setting (Max flow, tractor not to exceed 6MPH). I just didn't know if I should apply the granules first, then mow, or if I can mow with the spreader right behind the machine so I'm doing both operations at the same time, or if I should mow first, and then cover it with the Bug Blaster?

I'm sorry for such nOOb questions- but I've never owned a lawn before, and I'm 56 years old. House ownership is new for both the wife and I. ***laughs*** Had I been 30 years younger I'm sure my ignorance and arrogance would have prevented these questions.

A health lawn must have bugs in there.
The more bugs the healthier the lawn.
If you have destructive bugs like fire ants then use a selective insectacide, in a selective area.
About 90% of the bugs in a lawn are beneficial kill them and you have to do their work yourself, more chemicals, more sprays more dusts mare grass you can not walk on, dig, mow .
It is hard for a lot of people who have been living in apartments to come to terms with, but it is people that are the invasive destructive species , not what is in your yard .
You are aiming at a yard which requires the minimum of human intervention or you are setting yourself up for a second full time job.
Bad bugs are food for good bugs, bad bugs are food for spiders , bad bugs are food for birds.
A garden rich with birds is a paradise.

If you want a carpet like lawn, then lay astro turf

Back when I was young, we had plagues of cockroaches and worse the deadly Syndney funnel web spider.
Down here we called it the North shore funnel web ( north shore was the rich area ).
The councils in the north shore areas banned keeping chooks ( cause rooster crow & farmed eggs were healthier- right )
Chooks eat the cockroaches that the small animals we wiped out with domestic cats & dogs so without them cockroach number grew.
Funnel webs also ate cockroaches and were themselves eaten by the now extinct small marsupials and ,,,,, chooks.
Around 80 , mainly children of the wealthy people died from funnel web spider bites.
A problem we did not have in the cheaper localities where we had chooks, spiders frogs snakes & large lizards.

I sit here writing this with a huntsman spider the size of a bread plate almost directly above my head which is why there are no cockroaches, slatters or silverfish in this building.
The corners of the windows all have some spider webs on them from the black house spider, which is why there are no flies or mosquitoes inside the house
There is a frog pond near every outside tap and a part of that is habitat for black snakes , goannas, blue tounge lizards & skinks.
They clean up water breeding insects, brown snakes, rats, mice, slugs & snails .
Then only pest control I have to do is occasionally eradicate bull ants ( 8 different varieties ) nests that get built within 100 yards of the building and that only needs to be done 1 day 3 times a year when the ants go to form a new colony.
And fruit fly control as fruit fly is introduced and has no natural preditors.
 

Trailltrader

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Right now, I'd be happy to walk the dog and us both not be eaten and stung by fire ants. If this means I have to go to the United States Nuclear Regulatory Committee and beg, borrow or steal a small thermonuclear device? I'll consider it
 

bertsmobile1

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So selective baiting covers the whole yard + some eh
 
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