Texas Imported Fire Ant Research and Management Plan
Texas Cooperative Extension - Bexar County

Oxbow Neighborhood Association, San Antonio, TX.

1998-2001

The Neighborhood and Its Residents
Organizing the Program
Results

The Oxbow Neighborhood Association was the first homeowner association in Texas to be assisted by the Texas Imported Fire Ant Research and Management Plan. After a presentation on basic fire ant biology and management, the leadership of the association decided to initiate a neighborhood fire ant management program.

The Neighborhood and It's Residents

The Oxbow neighborhood is located in northwest San Antonio and bordered on the north and east by Babcock Road and on the south and west by Prue Road and Leon Creek, respectively. It is composed of 1039 homes inhabited by either homeowners or tenants. The inhabitants of the neighborhood are middle-income earners of a diverse ethnic background. Lot sizes average ~7,000 - 10,000 square feet including the home. Homes appear to be 10 - 30 years in age. Most lots contain mature oak, ash, and hackberry trees and have St. Augustine or bermuda grass lawns. Based on a community-wide survey developed by the Extension Service, homeowners replied that they spent anywhere from $1 - $100 per year on fire ant treatment chemicals and such. From this same survey, fire ant infestations were determined to average 4 - 6 mounds per yard. Because this program is considered an "autopilot" or association-driven program, biological surveys and fire ant mound counts were not done prior to treatment.

Organizing the Programs

1998

July 18, 1998 was selected as the neighborhood "Fire Ant Day." Organizers of the program divided the neighborhood into sections using streets as units, and assigned a volunteer, or street captain, from each street to organize efforts in each area. Neighborhood leaders chose PT^® 370 Ascend™ Fire Ant Stopper^® Bait as their fire ant management tool and calculated the bulk amount they needed based upon the average lot size in the neighborhood. The 2-Step Method was selected as the application strategy and applications were calculated based upon lot size in acres using a 1 lb/acre rate for the bait. Each homeowner was to complete a release and intent-to-participate form generated by the association and contribute $2 to offset the cost of purchasing the bait, which was $159 for 25lb., from a local garden supply business. It was determined that the neighborhood needed ~275lb of bait at a cost of $1749 to treat all of the homes and common areas in the neighborhood. The association also purchased a number of hand-operated crank seeders so the residents could apply their bait to their lawns. Each homeowner was given a small bag containing ~1/3 lb of bait, a seeder if needed, and a pesticide label detailing information about the fire ant bait.

The San Antonio Pest Control Association expressed interest in sending volunteers to the neighborhood to assist with bait applications in lawns and common areas and sent 10 volunteers to assist with the effort. One operator brought a small all-terrain vehicle with a Herd GT-77 seeder mounted on it for broadcasting bait over the common areas. At the last moment, the San Antonio Pest Control Association announced that it would donate enough bait to the neighborhood for their fire ant management program, thus making this a free program for all who would participate. In addition to pest control operators, ten volunteers from the Green Brigade Program, an Extension Service horticulture program designed to allow first-offender teens to "work off" restitution for their crimes, also assisted by delivering bait to street captains for distribution in their areas.

1999
A Fire Ant Day was not conducted because fire ant populations were too low to warrant a neighborhood treatment effort.

2000
A small Fire Ant Day was held in early May 2000 where homeowners could pay a small fee to purchase fire ant bait at selected neighborhood locations. The only homeowners to participate in the program were those on the perimeter of the neighborhood that is bordered by open, native areas. Residents in the interior portions of the neighborhood generally did not participate because they did not have significant fire ant populations. Reports from one homeowner in 2000 indicated that a Texas Horned Lizard was seen on one lawn as well. This may be a result of reduced fire ant populations.

2001
Increased fire ant populations in the neighborhood in early 2001 prompted a Fire Ant Day in early May. Neighborhood association members paid $5 for fire ant bait and non-members paid $8.50 for their fire ant bait. Volunteers broadcasted bait in lawns where homeowners were either unable to treat their lawns or were out of town. Signs were placed all around the neighborhood and bait was available at a central location.

Results

1998
Once the day (and weekend) had ended, it was determined that ~500 homes had participated in the "Fire Ant Day." Participants commented that the speed and ease of broadcasting fire ant bait was "easier than expected." Some even commented that after treating their lawns for free that they "would have spent $2 to kill their fire ants any time."

1999
Interviews a year later with residents revealed mixed results. Some residents were "highly satisfied" with their treatment and did not need to treat any or very few fire ant mounds in the months after the initial treatment. Others were dissatisfied with their results either because "their fire ants came back," or because "my neighbor didn't treat and his ants came over to my yard." These mixed results are most likely due to a participation of only ~50% of the homeowners in the association. If it were a much smaller neighborhood, perhaps 50% participation would have been enough to make up for non-treated areas. In any event, this neighborhood was a good example of how strong leadership can produce a well-organized and publicized event. The news media was well-represented with 2 local TV crews and newspapers on hand to record the morning's events. The association stored its remaining bait for later use and donated 25lb to the nearby Northchase Homeowner Association for its fire ant management program.

Overall, the Fire Ant Days held in the Oxbow neighborhood have demonstrated successes in large-scale fire ant control and increasing the awareness level of its residents regarding fire ants and their management.

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