Bayer, PCOs Team Up to Protect Communities from Fire Ants

IRMO, S.C. - In May of 2004 Saluda Shoals Park, Seven Oaks Park and Crooked Creek Park received a 100-acre donation of the fire ant treatment TopChoice, compliments of Bayer Environmental Science and Clark's Lawn & Landscape and Termite & Pest Control Services, a local company.

"I've seen first hand how dangerous fire ants can be to people and pets. Last year, Clark's wanted to inform Columbia-area families about a better way to help keep their loved ones safe from these dangerous creatures," says David Clark, president of Clark's Lawn & Landscape and Termite & Pest Control. "We were so impressed that the parks remained fire ant free for the entire year, with just one application, we decided to do it again this year."

These three parks, which are all part of the Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission (ICRC), saw more than 650,000 visitors in 2004. They are host to a number of scout troops, day camps, festivals, picnics and school trips. Clark's Lawn & Landscape and Termite & Pest Control will again focus the TopChoice application on 30 acres at Saluda Shoals Park, 40 acres at Seven Oaks Park and 30 acres at Crooked Creek Park, for a total of 100 acres.

"With so many guests at our parks each year, we just can't take chances with fire ants," says Dan Wells, Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission executive director. We are excited to be able to provide another full year of fire ant control to those visiting these three parks."

"Fire ants are a particular issue in heavily-populated urban areas like Columbia, and where families spend a lot of time outdoors," says Jon Stewart, Bayer Environmental Science. "To protect kids and pets, grounds managers and homeowners should consider a preventative and curative treatment like TopChoice, which is spread on grass and plant beds like fertilizer and controls fire ants for a full year with a single, professional application."

Currently, the entire state of South Carolina is under quarantine for fire ants. Recent studies indicate that fire ants, which infest more than 325 million acres across the southern United States, sting more than 20 million adults and children each year.

TopChoice is labeled for use on home lawns, commercial lawns, golf courses, sports fields, cemeteries, parks, school grounds and other recreational areas. It has been successfully used on tens of thousands of acres throughout the South including areas of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

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Nozzle Nolen Offers Half-Price Fire Ant Treatments to Hospitals, Schools, Daycare Centers and Retirement Homes. Spring and summer bring out more than outdoor lovers and picnic-goers, in Florida, comfortable temperatures and rain are an open invitation for fire ants. This year, one local lawn care company is doing something about it. Nozzle Nolen is offering free fire ant inspections and half-price product to all schools, hospitals, day care centers and retirement homes through August 1, 2005.

Here at Nozzle Nolen we understand the threat that fire ants present to humans, especially the elderly and children," says Wayne Dempsey, technical advisor, Nozzle Nolen. "In order to protect our community from these pests we have decided to create this offer, so more intuitions with tight budgets can take advantage of the benefits of a professional treatment."

Fire ants, which currently infest more than 325 million acres across the southern U.S., pose a serious and growing public health threat, injuring more than 20 million people each year with their stings. Currently the entire state of Florida is under quarantine for fire ants.

"A full-blown colony of fire ants can number up to 500,000 members. When disturbed, hundreds, sometimes thousands, of ants will attack an intruder, inflicting painful stings that, in the most severe cases, can be life threatening," says Dempsey.

The fire ant treatment Nozzle Nolen uses is TopChoice, a Bayer Environmental Science product. TopChoice is a low-dose, non-bait granular insecticide that requires just one annual application by a licensed professional. The product's active ingredient is non-harmful to animals and humans, and contains the same active ingredient used to control fleas and ticks on millions of pets.

For more information about TopChoice or Nozzle Nolen, visit www.nofireants.com or www.nozzlenolen.com.