Backyard Gardener A P R I L 2 0 1 4 V O L U S I S A C O U N T Y E X T E N S I O N

IN THIS

ISSUE

Fire Ant Manage-

ment…. Page 1

High Society…

Page 5

Beautiful Problem

Solvers… Page 6

Quick Tips from

Master Gardeers…

Page 6

Excitement in the

Garden… Page 7

Discover Discov-

ery… Page 8

Family Photo Al-

bum… Page 10

Can You Name

This… Page 11

Calendar of Public

Events… Page 12

Sustainable Fire Ant

Management Joe Sewards

Urban Horticulture Agent and Master

Gardener Coordinator

UF/IFAS Extension, Volusia County

The red imported

fire ant is a well-

known and trou-

blesome pest

throughout the

southeastern

United States.

This invasive species is aggressive, and

their painful stings can injure both hu-

mans and animals. The nuisances and haz-

ards of fire ants cause many people to

seek a “quick-fix” control strategy. While

it may not be possible to eradicate fire

ants, we can make them easier to live

with. The best management programs use

a combination of non-chemical and

chemical methods that are effective, eco-

nomical, and least harmful to the environ-

ment.

The high demand for a fast solution has

led to the development of many “home

remedies” and practices advertised as al-

ternatives to pesticide treatments. Most of

these have not been scientifically tested,

and many have proven ineffective. But,

some control efforts do hold promise for

sustainable solutions to manage fire ants.

To effectively deal with fire ants in the

landscape, it is necessary to first, under-

stand their biology and then effective and

environmentally safe ways to control

them.

Fire Ant Ecology Basics

The lifespan of RIFA workers depends on

their size. Minor workers may live 30 to

60 days, median workers 60 to 90 days,

major workers 90 to 180 days, and queens

may live two to six years! Complete life-

cycle from egg to adult takes between 22

and 38 days (Hedges 1997).

Here are some amazing facts about fire

ant biology:

Mating flights are the primary means

of colony propagation

Six to eight mating flights consisting

of up to 4,500 alates each occur between

the spring and fall (Vinson & Sorenson

1986).

In the southern United States, as many

as 97,000 queens may be produced per

acre of infested land per year (Vinson &

Sorenson 1986).

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educa-tional information, and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race,

creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions, or affiliations. U.S.

Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A&M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is

an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information, and other services only to individuals and

institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions, or affiliations. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service,

University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A&M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners

Cooperating.

Continued on Page 2

2

From Page 1…

Once the female alate has mated, she will rake her

legs forward to snap her wings off at the basal suture

and find a suitable spot to begin a new colony

(Hölldobler 1990).

Within 24 hours of mating, the queen will have

laid between 10 to 15 eggs, which will hatch in eight

to 10 days. By the time the first group of eggs

hatches, the queen will have laid from 75 to 125 more

eggs

The queen is

the single producer

of eggs and is ca-

pable of producing

as many as 1,500

eggs per day.

Mature colonies

may contain as

many as 240,000 workers with a typical colony con-

sisting of 80,000 workers (Vinson & Sorenson 1986).

Red imported fire ants prefer open, sunny areas such

as pastures, crop fields, and lawns. They will form

either single-queen or multi-queen colonies. Multi-

queen colonies are not territorial.

Fire ant nests usually take the form of large dirt

mounds, but ants will also nest in rotting logs; around

trees; under pavement and buildings; indoors; or in-

side electrical equipment and utilities, which some-

times causes short circuits. Fire ant nests will not

have a single nest entry, but rather, several entrances

under the mound. When the nest is disturbed, many

fire ants will swarm out to attack the intruder.

Fire ants are omnivorous. They eat plants, insects,

oils, and sugars, but they are only able to ingest liq-

uids. Larvae break down solid food into liquids for

fire ants by regurgitating digestive enzymes onto the

food. Although fire ants do prey on flea larvae,

chinch bugs, cockroach eggs, ticks and other pests,

the problems they cause usually outweigh any bene-

fits in urban areas.

Sustainable Control Methods

To eliminate a colony, the queen must be killed; in

multi-queen colonies, all queens must be killed. Even

if the queen is killed, surviving ants may inhabit the

mound or make a new mound until they die off.

Baits

Baits can be used as a broad-

cast or individual mound

treatment. Conventional rec-

ommended treatments in-

volve a “two step” process of

broadcast bait treatments and

individual mound treatments.

But, broadcast baiting may be counterproductive be-

cause it can also decrease native ant populations that

slow fire ant spread. If there are native ants in your

treatment area, try using only individual mound treat-

ments to prevent affecting non-target ant populations.

Least Toxic Pesticides

Pesticides containing the active ingredients hydrame-

thylnon and sulfluramid kill ants by preventing them

from converting food into energy.

Avermectin is derived from a soil fungus and inhibits

nerve function. As a broadcast treatment it works like

an insect growth regulator.

Insect growth regulators that reduce egg production

and prevent worker ant development include products

with the active ingredients, fenoxycarb, methoprene,

and pyriproxyfen. These treatments do not kill adult

ants, so treated colonies will persist until workers die

naturally. This usually takes a few days.

Organic Insecticides

Commercially available organic products that contain

ingredients such as boric acid or diatomaceous earth

can kill ants, but their effectiveness to kill whole

colonies has not been consistently demonstrated.

Some products available have ingredients that are de-

rived from botanical sources, such as rotenone, nico-

tine sulfate, d-limonene, and pyrethrins.

Spinosad is another toxin that affects the nervous sys-

tem. Spinosad is considered organic because it comes

from a bacterial fermentation process and is then put

into bait. Look for products certified by OMRI

(Organic Materials Review Institute).

Physical Treatments

Treatments may be more effective on sunny, cool

mornings when the majority of ants and brood are

closer to the surface of the mound. (Cont. on Page 3)

3

From Page 2…

Hot Water

Scalding water (190ºF-212ºF) has been used on

mounds with an elimination success rate of 20%-

60%. Slowly pour at least 3 gallons onto the mound,

being careful to avoid getting burned. A mound may

need several treatments to reach and kill the queen

and brood. Hot water will probably injure plants near

the mound.

Excavation

Fire ant mounds can be dug up and removed. Apply

baby powder or talcum to shovel handles and the in-

side of the bucket to keep ants from crawling up and

escaping or stinging you. Personally, I wouldn’t rec-

ommend this treatment since you probably won’t get

them all and, if you miss the queen, the mound will

simply reappear.

Mound Drench

A Texas A&M Extension study showed potential suc-

cess with a mound drench treatment of 1.5 fluid

ounce of orange oil and 3 fluid ounces of liquid dish

soap per gallon of water. After one week, there was a

significant reduction in the number of active mounds

in the treatment plots compared to other treatments.

Researchers did cite the need for future studies to

confirm the effectiveness of this treatment.

Ineffective Treatments

Many home remedies and control devices have not

been scientifically proven to reduce fire ant popula-

tions. Most of the time these treatments just disturb

the mound or kill enough ants to cause the colony to

relocate. If the queens are not killed, the colony will

not be destroyed and will most likely establish itself

in another nearby area.

The following are some popular “home remedies”

that do not control fire ant populations:

Club Soda. One myth is that pouring club soda onto

mounds suffocates the colony. This method is inef-

fective and at most may only drown a few ants. This

method has been promoted on the Internet along

with an inaccurate statement that the method is rec-

ommended by Walter Reeves of the University of

Georgia.

Grits. Fire ants only ingest liquids, so the idea that

they will eat the grits, swell, and then explode is

false.

Soap or wood ashes. These substances supposedly

remove the wax layer that protects the ant’s body,

which is not true.

Shoveling mounds together. Multi-queen colonies

are not territorial and this method is not even effec-

tive for single-queen colonies. Florida has multi-

queen populations, so by following this ineffective

method you risk increasing your fire ant problem.

Some “non-pesticide” treatments are harmful to the

environment and dangerous to apply. These include

gasoline or petroleum products, battery acid, bleach,

ammonia, or other cleaning products.

Biological Control

One reason fire ants are such resilient and successful

invaders is that they have little competition and no

natural enemies in the United States. To try to counter

this imbalance, scientists began releasing phorid flies

from fire ants’ native South America in the 1990s.

Phorid flies are a natural parasite of fire ants in their

home range. These flies lay their eggs in the ants’

heads; as the larvae develop, they take over

(“zombify”) and eventually decapitate their ant host.

The USDA is releasing a fifth species of phorid fly to

control fire ants in the southeastern US. Pseudacteon

cultellatus is being released at several sites in Florida

to help control workers in multi-queen colonies. Of

the four species released previously, three have be-

come widely established and expanded beyond their

release sites.

UF/IFAS scientists have been researching biological

control methods for fire ants and recently published a

study that shows that there is potential to use a type

of fungi as a control method against these creatures.

Unfortunately, no control method will permanently

eliminate fire ants from an area. Fire ants can quickly

re-infest areas after treatment stops, and may even

resurge with greater populations. Because successful

fire ant management techniques and products differ

across localities, be sure to speak with your county’s

Extension agent for management tips and questions.

(Cont. On Page 4)

4

From Page 3…

Currently, the best biological control method for fire

ants is to preserve other ant species that compete with

them for food and nesting sites, attack small fire ant

colonies, or kill newly mated queen ants. In some ar-

eas outbreaks of other exotic ant species, such as Ar-

gentine ants and tawny crazy ants, have displaced im-

ported fire ants. Even imported fire ants from single-

queen or polygyne colonies will prey upon newly

mated fire ant queens and eliminate small, neighbor-

ing colonies. Ants, in general, are considered benefi-

cial insects because they prey upon many other ar-

thropods and collectively till more earth than earth-

worms, thereby reducing soil compaction. Ways to

preserve native ants include preserving their habitat

and using insecticides judiciously.

Adapted and excerpted from:

D. Oi and P. Koehler, Imported Fire Ant on Lawns

and Turf (ENY226), Entomology and Nematology

Department (rev. 05/2003).

K. Schofield and B. Drees, "Comparison of individual

mound treatments for red imported fire ants, Solenop-

sis invicta," Integrated Pest Management Manual

(2.5MB pdf), Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (2008).

P. Sullivan, "Sustainable Fire Ant Management

(CT068)," National Sustainable Agriculture Informa-

tion Service (2003).

S. Durham, "New Red Imported Fire Ant Enemies in

Place for Combat," United States Department of Agri-

culture Agricultural Research Service (01/2011).

"How many people on Earth serve people? And how

many people on Earth serve the Earth? The differ-

ence in the numbers must be enormous. It would re-

veal that the Earth is definitely not the primary con-

cern of the human species. This might be fatal both to

the Earth and to humanity. Please, leaders of the

Earth and the nations, wake up to this potentially fa-

tal disparity."

Robert Muller

"There are no gardening mistakes, only experi-

ments.”

- Janet Kilburn Phillips

Does this look familiar?

5

High Society

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Xubfamily: Allioideae

Genus: Tulbaghia

Species: t. violacea

Tulbaghia violacea is native to South

Africa. The genus name Tulbaghia

come from the name of 18th century

Dutch governor of Cape of Good

Hope, Ryk Tulbacgh. The species

name violacea refers to the color of

the flowers, violet. There are two

theories regarding the origin of the

common name Society Garlic. Some

believe the Dutch settlers favored it

over garlic as it was a milder, more

refined and therefore more suitable

for polite society. Others were im-

pressed by the plant’s strong ten-

dency to form clumps in a close so-

cietal group and the strong scent of garlic from the

leaves.

The genus Tulbaghia has about 24 species; most of

the species are pollinated at night by moths when the

plants are more scented. Tulbaghia violacea on the

other hand is more scented during the day and is pol-

linated by bees and butterflies.

Society garlic is edible and the flowers and leaves

have a pepper-sweet onion flavor when eaten raw.

The bulb when boiled is believed to have medicinal

properties. The Zulus of South Africa used the leaves

and flowers for spinach like dish and to make a hot

peppery seasoning. They believed the bulbs when

boiled were an aphrodisiac medicine.

It was also thought to make a good snake repellent,

so was planted around their homes. I cannot opine on

the medicinal or recreational value of the plant but I

can say it is not effective an effective snake repellant

(at least for benign, non-venomous Florida snakes).

Society garlic is an ornamental plant and even when

not in bloom makes an attractive border. It is grown

in this area year round and blooms from March to

fall. The leaves grown up to 1ft and are green with a

silvery tinge. Each plant will have approximately 6

leaves with a bulb like rhizome root. Each flower

cluster blooms on the end of a spike that can be more

than 1 ft. tall. Once the flowers are spent small black

seed pods form. Society Garlic is best planted as a

clump to give it the effect of a larger plant. Over time

the plant naturally clumps and will fill in a large area.

The plant does best in full sun and blooms profusely,

but will tolerate shade with few blooms. Society Gar-

lic prefers sandy well drained soil and is tolerant of

salt. Over time and when established this plant is

drought tolerant.

Society garlic will tolerate tempera-

tures down to 25 degrees and if dam-

aged will grow again from the bulb.

The garlicky odor can be strong so it is

best planted away from the house.

There is some thought that due to their

scent certain insects avoid this plant

and deer do not like to eat the plant.

But I have heard from people who

have a deer problem that if the deer are

hungry enough they will eat anything.

There are many cultivars now avail-

able and the flowers are showier and come in pink,

and multiple colors of blue and violet combinations.

I planted this plant around my palm trees. The roots

of the palms were so dense around the base nothing

would grow, not even weeds. I took a screw driver

and made holes throughout the root balls at the base

of the trunk. I twisted in the bulbs and the leaves

promptly died, but within a month I had healthy

leaves on each plant. Within one growing season I

had a border around the trunk, within a few years the

trunk area was surrounded by large clumps of Society

garlic and the dense roots were all broken without

harm to the palms. Those first plants have given me

thousands over the years and I have never had to re-

plant around the palms

My neighbor’s all have some kind of border with this

plant from my originals and with the blooms swaying

in the sea breeze they look fragile and delicate but I

know they are hardier than a weed.

Myrna Moore

“Butterflies are self propelled flowers.”

― Robert A. Heinlein

6

BEAUTIFUL PROBLEM SOLVERS

Vines are the problem solvers in most landscape

plans. They can fit in the smallest space and be used

to cover the largest areas if you install a trellis. They

can be used as accents and focal points, or they can

place flowers, color and fragrance exactly where you

want it. They can be used in hanging pots, ground

cover, or to soften a blank wall with foliage and

color. When trained over a fence or trellis, they make

effective privacy

screens. A decidu-

ous flowering vine

on a pergola will

provide color, fra-

grance and shade

in the spring and

summer, while al-

lowing the sun to

warm the area in

winter.

In Central Florida

we are blessed

with a climate that

supports a large

variety of vines.

Passion Vines are

fast growing and

fragrant, with very

unusual flowers,

available in blue,

purple, red and white. They attract butterflies and are

a larva food source for Gulf Fritillary and the Zebra

Longwing butterflies. These vines tolerate unim-

proved soil and winter well in most areas.

Trumpet Vines, available in oranges and red and

Cross Vine make bright colorful display as they move

up trees or over trellises. They attract hummingbirds

and butterflies. They do well in unimproved soils

and require very little care, with exception of pruning

back the vines in early spring when needed.

Climbing Antique and Heritage roses bring elegance

and beauty to any garden setting. Flower color and

fragrance is as diverse as shrub forms. The recent in-

terest in antique climbing roses has opened up new

territories for rose lovers. The good news is that the

Antique and Heritage roses require very little atten-

tion. Mine have never been fertilized and rarely wa-

tered except for rain and they reach the tops of maple

trees.

Coral Vine, also called Rosa Montana, is a jewel

whose time

has come.

This vine is

as comfort-

able in the

hot humid

areas of Flor-

ida as in the

deserts of the

S o u t h w es t .

The branches

are open and

airy, with

c a s c a d i n g

sprays of

deep rose col-

ored blos-

soms, attract-

ing both

h u m m i n g -

birds and but-

terflies. It thrives in summer heat and poor soils,

growing at least forty feet by summers end. During

dry periods it dies back and waits patiently for rain,

springing to life when the rain arrives. It requires no

fertilizer or sprays for few insects bother it.

Dodie Ulery

Quick Tips From

Master Gardeners

Now is the time for your camellia plants to set

seed. Not all plants will set seed but when they

do, it's pretty exciting. I leave my blooms on the

bush and let them fall naturally. It seems that

what is left of the bloom on the bush, will attempt

to set seeds.

Jackie Jones

Eat It Then Plant It… don’t waste the root ends

of scallions/green onions. Cut them off before

cooking then plant in the garden for a continuous

supply of fresh… yum.

Ed Williams

Passion Vine—Photo by Dodie Ulery

Rosa Montana—Photo by Dodie Ulery

7

Excitement In The Garden

A Beekeepers Dream

Saturday afternoon about 1 PM… sitting at the com-

puter working on a new MG PowerPoint presentation

(really… no kidding). I look out the window and am

over whelmed by the sight of thousands (literally) of

honey bees flying around in a giant honey bee cloud.

This could be bad news as one of my colonies is

swarming. As I watch they begin to land on a branch

of a nearby tree. The queen has landed there and the

rest of t he bees will surround and protect her. You

may have seen this as a large ball (mass) of bees

hanging on a tree branch.

This is good news since there is now a chance we can

capture them. Rose, my bride, and I suit up and out

we go to catch the swarm. They are on the end of a

branch about 12 feet above ground. Not

too high but enough to make catching a

bit awkward. Quickly a hive is set up to

hold this group of girls. A 6 foot step

ladder is set up and the big loppers are

retrieved.

The plan is as follows:

Ed does not fall off the ladder

The branch is cut slowly so it will

slowly sag down and become easier

to handle.

Put the swarm into the hive and be

happy.

Ever heard the expression, ‘the best laid

plans of mice and men go oft awry.’?

Well, the saying is correct and reinforces Murphy’s

Law. The branch decided, with great delight and

meanness, to suddenly snap off. Down 12 feet to the

ground goes the branch with the thousands of bees. It

hits the ground and most of the bees decide they must

take off in a great flurry. Unfortunately, Rose was

standing on the ground near the crash site and some

of the bees decided to sting her… fortunately, only

twice and right through her pants. I was still, thank-

fully, securely ensconced on the ladder and escaped

the wrath of the girls.

Some of the bees stayed in a clump on the branch so I

knew the queen was there. Picked up the branch and

banged it on the hive to knock the bee off and into the

hive. At this point those bees stayed in the hive. I

knew honey bees are totally committed to their queen

so just let the rest of the bees fly around and stay in

separate clumps on the ground. Sure enough the need

to bee with the queen took over and all other bees

(thousands) began marching into the hive to be with

the queen. Within 20 minutes all the bees had moved

into the hive.

What was all this about? A natural event with honey

bees called swarming. Swarming is a very specific

action taken by a colony not just a bunch of bees in

one place. Swarming is how honey bee colonies re-

produce a colony. The nature of honey bees is such

that a single bee cannot go off and start a new colony.

A swarm is how the colony reproduces a new colony.

When the time is right the bees stop taking care of the

queen in the hive and begin chasing her around. The

idea is to get her into shape to fly because up to now

she has done nothing but lay eggs. The bees also

build queen cells in which new queens

will develop. When the time is right

the existing queen leaves the hive and

about half the colony leave with her.

This occurs in just a few minutes time

and is the swarm previously described.

The queen flies a short distance and

lands. All the other swarming bees

now land on and around her. A few

bees go off scouting for a new home.

The search for a new home typically

takes from a few hours to a day.

Therefore, it is critical to catch the

swarm quickly. By the way, at this

time the bees are quite docile as they

have not home, brood or food stores to

defend.

The original colony is now queen-less but should

have queens hatching soon. When the first queen

hatches she makes chirping noises which the un-

hatched queens respond to. The first queen homes in

on the sound, chews a hole in the other queens cell

and stings her to death. If multiple queens hatch

close in time they will hunt each other within the hive

and fight to the death. It’s tough being queen bee.

So far the swarm seems quite content in their new

hive and have not swarmed again. Beekeeping

Rocks!

Ed Williams

Photo by Ed Williams

8

Discover Discovery

These are photos of first graders from Edgewater provided by

Laura Rocco. These photos show the Discovery Master Gar-

deners in action.

One of the main tasks that Master Gardeners take on is to run

tours of the Ag Center for school children. They get to see

various types of plants, butterflies (sometimes hatching) and

learn the importance of the environment. Considering that

many young people today are not familiar with gardening and

the source of much of our food this is important work.

More MG volunteers are always needed and welcome. Join

and Discovery session and see what it is all about. You can

make a difference in the life of a child and germinate a new

gardener. Give it a try.

9

*****Family Album***** Kathryn Kovach’s Sedums and Succulents

Graptopetalum paraguayense –

Mother of Pearl Plant

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana

Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi kalanchoe laciniata

XxGraptophytum supreme

10

Can You Name This?Can You Name This?Can You Name This?

Master Gardener Program Vision Statement

To be the most trusted resource for horticultural education in Florida

Master Gardener Program Mission Statement

To assist extension agents in providing research based horticultural

education to Florida residents

Like us on Facebook…

www.facebook.com/ UniversityOfFloridaIFASVolusiaCountyExtension

Photo by Ed Williams Jerry A. Payne, USDA Agricultural Re-search Service, Bugwood.org

Answers on

page 11

11

April & May 2014 Calendar of Public Events

Volusia County Agricultural Center

3100 E. New York Ave. (S.R. 44),

Deland, FL 32724 At the Volusia County Fair Grounds

West Volusia… 386-822-5778

Daytona Beach… 386-257-6012

New Smyrna Beach… 386-423-3368

Email questions to… mastergardener@volusia.org

Can You Name This—Answers

Flower is from the Golden Rush potato.

The insect is the Velvet Ant (aka Cow Killer). It is actually a wasp.

Event Date Location

Plant Faire Preview 4/4 Ag Center

Plant Faire 4/5 Ag Center

Jewish Heritage Festival 4/6 News Journal Center - Daytona Beach

Ask a Master Gardener/Plant clinic 4/7 Ormond Beach Regional Library

Native Plants (1 CEU) 4/10 Debary Historic Hall

Coffee-can hydroponics (2 CEUs) 4/11 Lyonia Environmental Center

Pruning (1.5 CEU) 4/12 Debary Historic Hall

Stone Fruit for the Home Landscape - Cost: $5 (2 CEUs) 4/12 Ag Center

Soil - the garden's foundation (1.5 CEUs) 4/13 Lyonia Environmental Center

MG Plant Clinic 4/15 New Smyrna Beach Library

Sugar Mill Garden Q&A 4/16 Sugar Mill Garden

Composting & Rain Barrels (1 CEU) 4/17 Ormond Beach Regional Library

Office closed - Good Friday 4/18 Office Closed

Ormond Beach Earth Day 4/24 Ormond Beach Cith Hall Plaza

Wild Flowers(1 CEU) 4/24 Debary Historic Hall

Ask a Master Gardener/Plant clinic 5/5 Ormond Beach Regional Library

Pest Control(1 CEU) 5/8 Debary Historic Hall

Butterfly Gardening (1 CEU) 5/15 Ormond Beach Regional Library

Butterfly Gardening (1.5 CEU) 5/17 Debary Historic Hall

Rain Barrels and Rainwater Collection System - Cost: $5 (2 CEUs) 5/17 Ag Center

Introduction to Beekeeping 5/17 Deltona Library - Lyonia Room

Sugar Mill Garden Q&A 5/21 Sugar Mill Garden

Honey Bee Biology and Behavior 5/22 Deltona Library - Lyonia Room

Butterfly Gardening (1 CEU) 5/22 HOWARD JEFFRIES