Glenda from Athens Texas writes
I live on sugar sand and have those leaf ants everywhere. They strip every plant overnight of all leaves. Which Telstar product would be best to kill these?
Talstar XTRA Granular Insecticide will get rid of most ant species except for Pharoah ants.
Leaf cutter ants can be a difficult pest to get rid of. The colonies are large and the ants make their own food so poison baits only have limited effects on this species of ants. Plants can be protected temporarily using dust or granular formulations of contact insecticides, like acephate, carbaryl or permethrin. but such treatments must be reapplied frequently. Also, plant applications do little to eliminate the underground nest.According to several university websites, Maxforce Complete Granules containing hydramethlynon are some what effective, though they will usually eliminate only about 30% of a large colony in one treatment and will need to be reapplied several times. DeltaGard granules is one of the only products actually labeled for leaf cutter ants. The product label recommends treating the mound directly and lightly watering the granules in.
Again, it may take several treatments to get the desired results. Since Leafcutter Ant nests may extend deep underground and are often located near bodies of water, call your local cooperative extension office for their recommendations before using any insecticide spray.
Answer last updated on: 10/03/2022
