Use shallow disking or drag heavy objects such as railroad ties across pastures to temporarily flatten tall, hardened mounds. Although this practice will seldom eliminate fire ants it can suppress their numbers. Their design can withstand the impact of fire ant mounds, and thus reduce equipment damage. Remove hay bales from the field immediately after baling to prevent ants from invading. This is especially important if rain is anticipated.
Store bales off the ground or in an area around which the ants have been treated.
Generally RIFA builds mounds outside poultry houses and forage on dead birds inside the house. Remove weeds and grass from around poultry houses with mowers or herbicides. If picking up dead birds, use gloves coated with talc, it should decrease the number of ants moving onto the hand. Complex rules of pesticide use vary with production company. Commercial Fish Producers Options Fire ants are a threat to fish pond owners due to their ability to short circuit electric aeration equipment and wells.