See all of the ways that fire ants and Ag don’t mix and why you should be mindful of keeping them away from your ag operation.
No one likes fire ants, but they are especially detrimental to agriculture. It’s important to stay on top of this destructive insect. A Citrus Industry article shared all the ways fire ants and Ag are a bad combo. See the details below.
The Bad Combination of Fire Ants and Ag
The article shared the ways that fire ants and ag do not mix:
- “Fire Ants Can Deal Damage. Fire ants can take a toll on essential equipment and infrastructure, resulting in downtime and economic consequences. While fire ants are small in stature, they’re mighty in numbers. They come together to build tall, hard mounds that can cause blade snags in field machinery. They’re also a dangerous threat to electrical infrastructure, as they can chew through wires to cause short circuits and occasionally nest in metal casing.
- Fire Ants Can Stunt Crop Growth. Crops are especially vulnerable to the threat of fire ants. Fire ants feed on the buds and fruit of almonds and citrus crops, which can diminish the yield of your harvest. They also can cause problems for nurseries, turf and sod by disrupting the water and root systems that keep grass green and healthy.
- Fire Ants Can Harm Employees. Fire ants can pose potentially life-threatening risks to people and employees. Not only do their stings hurt, they are powerful enough to be fatal for humans in rare instances. Fire ants also don’t take kindly to their colonies being disrupted and can attack quickly when disturbed.
- Fire Ants Can Negatively Impact the Agriculture System. The pollinators, earthworms, and livestock that keep our agricultural system healthy and flowing can fall victim to fire ant infestations. For example, fire ants can raid and devastate honey beehives by feeding on stored honey, pollen, larvae and pupae.
- Fire Ants Are Resilient. Fire ants don’t go down without a fight and know how to survive in adverse situations. For instance, fire ant colonies can overcome floods by linking together and forming a raft that repels water and can stay afloat for months in some instances.”
Griffin Fertilizer is committed to helping both growers and ranchers make sound agronomic and economic decisions in order to maximize the health of their grove and pasture. As a full-service custom dry & liquid fertilizer blender and crop protection product distributor, we will continue our mission to further advance Florida agriculture. For questions -or concerns about your farm or pasture, contact us and one of our team will be in touch.