Reminder: Wood Glen Front Yard Ant Bait Application Scheduled Monday, Oct. 1
Pick Up Your Backyard Ant Bait Saturday, Oct. 6
Backyard Ant Bait Pick-up RAIN DATE: Saturday, Oct. 13
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for Monday, Oct. 1, 2007 to turn off your water sprinkler system the day before (Sept. 30) and the day of baiting, Monday, Oct. 1, to ensure the fire ant bait remains effective. Research Pest Control will apply Extinguish Plus fire ant bait to all Wood Glen front yards, common areas and greenbelt trails. In case of rain, they will instead apply on Thursday, Oct. 4.
If you currently have your lawn treated for fire ant control, this application will not affect those efforts. However, if for any reason you do not want your front yard baited for fire ants, please email Grace Capwell gcapwell@austin.rr.com
The pest control company will use a motorized spreader through each front yard that will do no harm to any grass. The spreaders are simply a hopper (holding the bait) in front with a driver on back. It is smaller than a lawn mower and uses a 6 HP (horsepower) engine. By using these spreaders, our ant bait application will be even more effective than in the past since these spreaders can reach the entire front yard.
The annual fall and springtime baiting is a neighborhood-wide event conducted by the Wood Glen Property Owners Association (WGPOA) to manage seasonal fire ants year-round more effectively and cost-effectively. By pooling our resources and baiting all at the same time, residents get a more effective treatment for a fraction of the price of individual professional application.
In addition, extra bait is purchased in bulk to hand out to residents desiring to treat their back yards as well Each resident can pick up their backyard bait in front of the Wood Glen pool area on Saturday, Oct. 6, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Bring your own hand spreader (set to lowest setting of number “1”) for a thorough dispersion of ant bait. In case of rain, pick up your fire ant bait the following Saturday, Oct. 13th from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
This baiting program is designed for the management of Solenopsis invicta, the red imported fire ant. Red imported fire ants are present all year in central Texas, but are most prevalent in the spring and fall. On warm days, usually after rain, you will see fire ants swarming. Swarming is when male and female reproductives leave the mound and fly into the air to mate. After mating, males die, while females look for new nesting locations.
The Wood Glen board would like to extend thanks to Ms. Elizabeth (Wizzie) Brown, Extension Program Specialist of the Texas Cooperative Extension. She will be on hand again this fall during our backyard bait handout to support us with her entomological expertise.
