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Each year there’s a chance for fire ant populations to infest almond orchards. Once an infestation begins, the quality and yield of a grower’s almond crop may be compromised.
“After the queen establishes a new nest in the early spring, the larvae of fire ants develop into adults in about one month. This happens in about two to three months for pavement ants,” said Leigh Ann Harrison, BASF Technical Service Representative in the San Joaquin Valley. “This development happens underground, so growers won’t actually see the ants until they emerge when soil temperatures warm up. They need to have a plan they can quickly put in place to manage fire ants should ant populations arise.”
If the almond crop isn’t...