Almost without fail, anyone with a lawn eventually faces an insect problem. Some insects do substantial damage to lawns. Meanwhile, many insects are pests that attack or infest humans and pets. Chief among the offenders are fleas and fire ants. Knowing treat your lawn for flea and ant problems plays a key role in how well you address the problem. Several options area available. Does this Spark an idea?
Understanding the Problem
Fire ants create mounds in your yard. Each mound has at least one queen, which lives up to 25 feet underground. Queens live about two years and produce approximately 1,000 eggs per day.
Fleas make their way to your lawn from infested animals, including the family pet. They sometimes attack humans and pets. The female flea lays eggs on the skin of the host animal. These eggs fall off when the host walks. This is how the eggs can become deposited on your lawn. Some flea eggs can remain dormant for months or years until they are activated by the vibration of a passing host.
According to the University of Florida Extension, flea larvae develop best in shaded, humid areas and will drown in a flooded environment. Therefore, rainfall is often enough to curb larval development outdoors. To maximize the impact of rainfall, remove loose debris and weeds from your lawn, and keep it mowed. The extension notes that spraying the yard with water is often enough to reduce flea populations, but it might not wipe them out.
Insecticides
A sure-fire way to rid your lawn of fire ants and fleas is to treat it with an insecticide. Insecticides can be purchased from gardening shops and home improvement stores. Insecticides come in pellets, sprays and, in the case of at least one variety, a fogger.
These solutions, though, must be used sparingly and with caution. The website American-Lawns.com suggests only using a pesticide when a known problem exists. Examine your lawn. If you don't find any fire ants or fleas, you don't need an insecticide. The University of Florida extension recommends limiting the use of insecticides to the areas where fire ants and fleas are known to be. "Spraying the entire yard is wasteful and irresponsible," the extension's website says.
Some pesticides contain chemicals that are harmful to humans, pets and wildlife. American-Lawns.com suggests reading the directions and labels on insecticide containers before using them. If you do not feel comfortable treating your lawn, you can hire a professional service to do the work. Insecticides, though, can be an expensive alternative, and hiring a pro only drives up the cost. As well, some insecticides only kill fire ants on contact.
The University of Florida Extension recommends that insecticides such those containing pyrethroids be used only during dry seasons. Focus the use of these insecticides in shaded areas where pets frequently roam or rest. You can apply it once every two to three weeks, the extension says.
Nematodes
Nematodes help eliminate fire ants and fleas from your yard. These tiny worms live in soil and feed on fire ants, fleas and other insects. You can buy them at some garden centers. Several websites also sell them.
Nematodes are advantageous because they are not harmful to humans, pets, wildlife, birds or soil. A handful of soil can contain thousands of nematodes, which actively search for insects and insect larvae by sensing slight increases in temperature or the release of methane gas.
Nematodes come in many varieties. More than 2,000 species exist, and different species work best against certain lawn pests. The basic nematode is known to attack fleas and flea larvae. The website DirtWorks.net recommends two species of nematodes for killing fire ants. Steinernema carpocapsae, the "sal" strain, and Heterorhabditis indica. DirtWorks sells a special mix of both of these species for fire ant problems. The site says the Heterorhabditis variety is especially helpful in warm climates, where fire ant problems pose a constant problem.
Other Treatments
Diatomaceous earth also works for fire ant and flea problems. You can buy it at garden shops and home improvement stores. The product features fossilized microscopic shells found in nature. Diatomaceous earth eliminates fleas, fire ants and other pests in your yard by damaging their exoskeletons, which kills them.
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