Eliminating Fire Ants in Almond Orchards

As growers and visitors enjoy California almonds in peak bloom this March, it’s time to start thinking about proactive fire ant control. Fire ant populations can devastate almond production, from direct crop damage to operational and agronomic impacts.

Proactive control with Extinguish® Professional Fire Ant Bait can help protect almond orchards for 2026 harvest and beyond.

What Types of Fire Ants Impact Almond Orchards?

Even though there are over 12,000 known ant species in the world, almond growers only need to worry about a few in particular:

Red Imported Fire Ants (RIFA): Aggressive and invasive, the RIFA is known for its painful stings and for building large mounds across properties..
Southern California Fire Ants: Mostly found in California (where 80% of the world’s almonds are grown), this fire ant is typically smaller in size than the RIFA, but is also capable of painful stings and extensive damage to orchards. The Southern California Fire Ant is particularly sensitive to footsteps and is poised to attack at the slightest disturbance.
Pavement Ants: Among the most common species found in the United States, pavement ants form large colonies that can contain up to 10,000 workers. Their colonies can also have multiple queens.

How Do Fire Ants Damage Almond Operations?

When almonds fall, they’re susceptible to significant damage, especially for growers who breed soft shell varieties, such as Nonpareil. Ants will hollow out and devour the inside nutmeat of almonds that have been shaken or fallen to the ground, leaving only the pellicle.

Even for hard shell growers, a fire ant infestation can cause considerable damage. The large colonies fire ants build underground can disrupt irrigation and production systems, their tall, hardened mounds can damage machinery, and their aggressive behavior poses a significant risk to workers. According to Agriculture: Almond Pest Management Guidelines, nut damage will cost a grower at time of sale, as ants can completely hollow out nutmeats leaving only the pellicle.

How Can Extinguish® Professional Fire Ant Bait Protect Almond Orchards?

Almond producers need a proactive, effective and long-lasting solution to tackle the evolving fire ant threat. Central Life Sciences offers the answer to control problem fire ant colonies in almond orchards with Extinguish® Professional Fire Ant Bait .

As economical as it is effective, Extinguish® Professional Fire Ant Bait is designed to:

Stop young colonies from developing into problem colonies.
Control and eliminate colonies, without mound movement.
Control RIFA, southern (California) fire ants and pavement ants.

Approved for ALL CROPS, Extinguish® Professional Fire Ant Bait contains (S)-methoprene, an Insect Growth Regulator (IGR), which affects the queen's reproductive ability. By eliminating the queen and interrupting the colony's growth, Extinguish® Professional Fire Ant Bait significantly reduces the number of ants in the grove.

What Else Do Growers Need to Know About Extinguish® Professional Fire Ant Bait?

Application recommended 4-6 weeks before nuts drop from the trees
Usage rate of 1-1.5 lbs. per acre · Available in economical 25 lb. bags
Reduction in colony size can be seen beginning at 3 weeks; colony elimination within 8 to 10 weeks

Extinguish® Professional Fire Ant Bait works best in dry conditions and should not be applied within 6 hours of a rain event. Ants will not be attracted to wet bait. Take care to apply product when your almond orchards are dry from dew or irrigation.

Make Extinguish® Professional Fire Ant Bait and Extinguish® Plus part of a proactive control plan, not a reactive one. Regular monitoring and seasonal applications can drastically reduce populations and protect your operation from the threat these pests pose.

Ready to Eliminate Fire Ants in Your Almond Orchard?

Visit our “How to Purchase” page here to find the representative in your area who can help get you started.

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