Recommended Homeowner Control Products for Little Fire Ant in Hawai’i
Based on information provided by the Hawaii Ant Lab (HAL) and the University of Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR)
Treating a Yard that has Fruit Trees
QTR: 1 / MONTH 1 / MONTH 2 / MONTH 3WK 1 / WK 2 / WK 3 / WK 4 / WK 1 / WK 2 / WK 3 / WK 4 / WK 1 / WK 2 / WK 3 / WK 4
IGR
Toxicant
Survey / *
QTR: 2 / MONTH 4 / MONTH 5 / MONTH 6
WK 1 / WK 2 / WK 3 / WK 4 / WK 1 / WK 2 / WK 3 / WK 4 / WK 1 / WK 2 / WK 3 / WK 4
IGR
Toxicant
Survey
QTR: 3 / MONTH 7 / MONTH 8 / MONTH 9
WK 1 / WK 2 / WK 3 / WK 4 / WK 1 / WK 2 / WK 3 / WK 4 / WK 1 / WK 2 / WK 3 / WK 4
IGR
Toxicant
Survey / * / *
QTR: 4 / MONTH 10 / MONTH 11 / MONTH 12
WK 1 / WK 2 / WK 3 / WK 4 / WK 1 / WK 2 / WK 3 / WK 4 / WK 1 / WK 2 / WK 3 / WK 4
IGR
Toxicant
Survey / *
*Survey before applying baits
After treating your yard write down the date in the appropriate box to help track when to apply the next treatment.It’s ideal to retreat every 4-6 weeks. But due to unpredictable weather you may be unable to treat on your scheduled week. Do NOT bait if it’s raining, the ground is soaking, or if it looks like it will rain in the next few hours. Calendar may need adjusting if the treating is withheld for more than two weeks after the scheduled time. In the 3rd and 4th quarter only use specific pesticides that are labeled for use on the fruit tree(s) in your yard. Altrevin can be used on some citrus and nut trees and Amdro Pro can be used in most tropical fruits if applied using a bait station. Most toxicant pesticides can’t be used on fruit trees. Apply bait outside of the drip zone of the plant when using baits that aren’t labeled for fruit tree.
Treating a Yard with No Fruit Trees
When there are no fruit trees in your yard, one option is treating with just toxicant baits. Follow a similar routine as the one shown in quarter 3 & 4 in the above chart. Some toxicant bait can only be applied so many times a year so make sure to read the label thoroughly and rotate when needed.
Surveying
Survey your property before you begin treating to confirm that you do have LFA and to locate where the most infested areas are. Smear a small amount of creamy peanut better on a chopstick and place in a shady areas and trees and leave for 30 min-1 hour. Place sticks with ants in a Ziploc bag and store it in the freezer overnight to kill them. If you need to confirm if you have LFA send dead samples to the Hawaii Ant Lab (See websites listed on bottom of page for more surveying info). Continue to survey throughout the year to monitor the population of your infestation. If at any time there are no LFA found during the survey switch from baiting to applying barrier treatments*. Now that you have reduced the population to non-noticeable levels the barrier should keep them from getting reintroduced from adjacent properties. Continue to survey quarterly to make sure that LFA do not become reestablished.
Insect Growth Regulator Baits(IGR)
IGRs serve as a kind of “birth control” for the ants. When fed to the reproducing queens, it will reduce or stop her egg production and prevent the eggs and larvae from developing, thus weakening the colony before a toxicant is used. IGRs are not poison and will not kill adult workers (these are the ones that sting). Workers have a lifespan of about 3 months, so the population won’t start to decline until after the current workers die naturally. Don’t be discouraged when you still see ant’s even after treating. Don’t give up! Active ingredients in IRGs: methoprene.
Toxicants Baits
When using baits laced with toxicants there will be a quick reduction in workers but it’s unlikely to destroy the colony after a single treatment. It’s vital to retreat with the toxicant bait before the colony can fully recover. Active Ingredients in toxicants: hydramethlynon,indoxacarb,and metaflumizone.
*Barrier Treatments (not listed on calendar)
Barrier treatments can be used when you have infestations occurring on neighboring properties or stretches of land where control is not taking place. If you have LFA on your property but not in your house, you may also want to spray around the base of your house and all entryways to prevent ants from “moving in” while you are implementing control outside. Do not apply a barrier treatment and bait at the same time. The barrier may prevent the workers from reaching the bait or keep them from returning to the colony. It’s best to use a barrier treatment about a week after applying bait.
Barriers come in the form of a spray or a granular. Many granular ant toxicants and granular barrier treatments look the same. Also, barrier treatments will usually include instructions on wetting the granules, while toxicants need to remain dry. Rule of thumb:
Instructions tell you to keep it dry while using for maximum effect? Toxicant.
Instructions tell you to get it wet for maximum effectiveness? Barrier treatment.
Active Ingredients of Barrier Treatments: bifenthrin,andcyfluthrin.
See the list of pesticides on our website:
This document is provided as a general guide and is NOT intended as a substitute for information provided on product labels. Pesticides usage is regulated by federal and state authorities and should be used only as directed by the manufacturer. Before using any of the products listed here, be sure that you read and understand directions for use. Take all recommended precautions and wear proper clothing as indicated on each product label.
(January 2016)Research into effective treatments for LFA is ongoing.The information provided may be updated as new research and products are available. Please check with BIISC ( or the Hawaii Ant Lab ( for latest information. Visit either of these webpages for more detailed information.