As the title suggests, I'm looking for advice on killing leaf cutter ants. At best I've been able to get them to relocate but they're stripping leaves completely off some of my trees and I'd like to get rid of them.

https://citybugs.tamu.edu/factsheets/landscape/ants/ent-1002/

I have several nests (or the same big ass one) near my garden. They travel all along it and if I do not work quickly, an entire army of them will pick up seeds as I sow them. Spinach seeds for instance. Cucumbers as well. I started using Amdro in the row so they would have something else to carry back to the mound. It seems to help control them, but I have not had luck killing them completely. I used the link above to find info.

I am going to try some Cyonara on a mound or two I have noticed and see. I have tried orthene powder but it does not seem to do away with them entirely. Just looked up these ants and saw this mentioned. May try this instead.

A special formulation of hydramethylnon, sold under the trade name Amdro Ant Block

canadianAg said:

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As the title suggests, I'm looking for advice on killing leaf cutter ants. At best I've been able to get them to relocate but they're stripping leaves completely off some of my trees and I'd like to get rid of them.

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We had them real bad at one point. Someone told us to mix regular ant poison powder with sugar and sprinkle it around and down into the mound hole. I just used a styrofoam cup and plastic spoon to mix in the sugar and sprinkle it into their mounds. It seemed to work well. By the next day there wouldn't be a single ant around the poisoned mound. Finding their nest is easy considering they leave easy to see trails. You have to find all of their mounds and keep on it every time a new one pops up. Eventually they either die or go away. You have to poison them at their nest though.

I've also heard of people soaking the nests with insecticide. Got to soak them really good though because you have to reach the queen and those nests can be pretty deep.

I have heard this works very well………….just heard….:very well…….:

Find what you believe to be a major entrance. Cover all others you can find. Take a stick and wallow out the one entrance, and wet it down with a little water. Take an indoor fogger, set it off, and point it down the wallowed out hole. Pile the moist soil around the can and watch. If you see vapors coming out other entrances, cover them. Repeat if it's a big colony.

Remember: They don't eat leaves, they eat fungi that grow on the leaves underground. Regular amdro wont do much, if anything.

Termidor is the typical treatment.

Most baits will not work on these ants as they use the leaf cutting to propagate a fungus which is actually their food. The fungus will not grow on the baits so they never get poisoned.

I have heard mostly good results with this:

Moisten grape nuts cereal with water. You don't want it to soften the crumbs. Coat with Orthene 90 powder. Sprinkle around den entrances.

Apparently grape nuts is very close to what their food source is. Orthene is a contact poison, so they don't have to eat it for to to kill them. Workers carry it to the queen and everywhere else in the mound and kills all.

This is used by a local exterminator with what he says is great success.

I just killed a huge colony with multiple cutter lines and entry mounds. I used TALSTAR P (bifenthrin) insecticide. Mixed to apply for ant mound control. Sprayed heavily 3' around the mounds and along the cutter ant trails.

1990Hullaballoo said:

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Most baits will not work on these ants as they use the leaf cutting to propagate a fungus which is actually their food. The fungus will not grow on the baits so they never get poisoned.

I have heard mostly good results with this:

Moisten grape nuts cereal with water. You don't want it to soften the crumbs. Coat with Orthene 90 powder. Sprinkle around den entrances.

Apparently grape nuts is very close to what their food source is. Orthene is a contact poison, so they don't have to eat it for to to kill them. Workers carry it to the queen and everywhere else in the mound and kills all.

This is used by a local exterminator with what he says is great success.

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You beat me to it. For some reason they love grape nuts.

dioxyphilophyde 6,000 with techroline will get rid of them, too.

16 oz Grape Nut Flakes
4 oz water
8 table spoons Orthene 75 SP
1 1gal zip lok bag

put ingredients in bag and shake

one batch per colony

do not pour into ant mound holes

I did the grape nuts thing. Spread it over their trials and near their entrance holes. They picked it all up and took it down. I noticed a significant decrease in numbers over a couple weeks. Then I put down delta guard pellets around the entrance holes and on top of the main colony. That wiped them out and I haven't seen them since about a year ago. This was a huge colony that had several acres of holes and trails all over several adjacent properties. I would just do the delta guard if they came back. I bought a big bag of it on Amazon.

Following.

They love rubber tree plants….down to the roots lol

DG granules. Delta-Gaurd made by Bayer. Is the only thing I've found that will kill the nest. You have to find where they are coming from. The big nest. This could be a challenge because they will go as far as a quarter of a mile from the big nest to harvest. Treat the nest with half the bag. You'll need to wet it. Come back 2-3 weeks later and use the rest of the bag on it.

I've killed about ten nests this way and keep DG granules on hand at all times. I hate those *******s. They killed several of my fruit trees before I figured out how to kill them.

Fipronil….you're welcome

I saw an ad in a forestry publication a year or two ago about a new bait formulated specifically for the Tx leaf cutter ants - Leaf Saver Ant Bait. However I have not seen it available locally yet and not sure how well it works.

PTM Insecticide injected in the soil. It's a one time deal.

BurnetAggie99 said:

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PTM Insecticide injected in the soil. It's a one time deal.

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This is the way

Tell us more…..

Fipronil is the active in PTM, Termidor, Taurus, Maxforce, etc. It's broken down microbially and the first metabolite is what is toxic to ants and other soil dwelling bugs. Has a good long residual, and works (in my experience) for at least a year per treatment. Find the right product labeled for your intended use and read and follow the label directions.

Micropterus said:

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BurnetAggie99 said:

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PTM Insecticide injected in the soil. It's a one time deal.

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This is the way

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It may not be labeled for leafcutters. Of course I don't condone breaking the law.
Another method:
"Amdro Ant Block and Extinguish Plus Fire Ant Bait at a 50:50 ratio. Next, let the mixture rest for 4-6 weeks. Once ants are active, apply on and around mounds at 1 lb/acre".
Your traditional ant stuff doesn't work because lead cutters farm mold on the leaves and it won't kill the queen.
Go bother your congressmen on forcing the EPA to allow us to use proper control on leafcutters. Most stuff is not agriculturally rated or for home use, landscaping only. If only we could use methyl bromide.....

This is why I often question pest treatments on here, and wonder if the average homeowner can obtain them without a license.

Most can be obtained on places like Amazon or Do it yourself websites online. Also local feed stores as well. Now when it comes to certain chemicals say Fipronil for example, you have certain brands that the label says it's only for these applications even though it can work off label. It's a money grab IMO and that's why you see people go off label. That said not supposed to do that by the label requirements.

PTM is labeled for leaf cutter ants and is not a restricted use pesticide, so you may purchase and apply to your own property (not for hire) according to label directions.

Micropterus said:

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PTM is labeled for leaf cutter ants and is not a restricted use pesticide, so you may purchase and apply to your own property (not for hire) according to label directions.

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Only for pine seedlings if memory serves. I'm not aware of a fiptonil product for control on other crops.
Prairie View A&M was doing stuff on it in a peach orchard in 2018 so here's to hoping there will be a label soon for general use against leaf cutters.
https://www.pvamu.edu/cahs/2018/06/04/extension-assists-waller-county-farmers-with-high-infestation-of-leaf-cutter-ants-2/

https://www.classicshorts.com/stories/lvta.html

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You're insane! They're not creatures you can fight--they're an elemental--an 'act of God!' Ten miles long, two miles wide--ants, nothing but ants! And every single one of them a fiend from hell; before you can spit three times they'll eat a full-grown buffalo to the bones. I tell you if you don't clear out at once there'll he nothing left of you but a skeleton picked as clean as your own plantation."

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