Which approach is recommended for controlling fire ants?

• A. Use a combination of broadcast bait treatments
• B. Rely solely on surface sprays
• C. Ignore them
• D. Use broadcast fungicides

Answer: (A)

Fire ants are best controlled with a strategy that uses a combination of broadcast bait treatments. Baits are taken by foraging workers back to the nest, delivering poison to the queen and developing brood and thus reducing the entire colony from the inside. Repeating bait applications across the area over time helps reach multiple colonies and keeps pressure on as new foraging activity appears. Relying only on surface sprays kills ants you see above ground but doesn’t reach the underground nest, is momentary, and often misses the core colony. Fungicides don’t affect insects at all, so they won’t stop fire ants. Ignoring them won’t solve the problem.