Termidor label expanded for crazy ants

The Termidor label is expanding under the Texas' Section 18 emergency exemptions program to accommodate the expanding range of the Rasberry crazy ant in south Texas.Termidor has been a useful insecticide to help prevent crazy ant invasion of homes.  Unfortunately, because of the very high numbers of these ants in infested yards, the traditional "one foot up, one foot out" broadcast treatment allowed on standard labels has been inadequate.  The new label allows application "3 feet up and 10 feet out" up to twice a year.  Hildalgo County has been added to the list of counties where the expanded label may be used, and a provision on the label also allows use in unlisted counties if those counties have been listed as infested by Texas A&M University entomologists.

If you are not sure if your county has been included in the new label, Ed Gage of the Texas Department of Agriculture suggests that you visit their page listing the current known counties of infestation.  Another site to check is the Texas A&M University crazy ant website.  According to Gage, as with any Section 18 label, if the label you have in your hand does not include your county, but the county has been declared infested, simply make a copy of the new label, print it off and carry it to your application site.  For a copy of the latest label, as of October 1, 2010, ask your local pesticide distributor, or click here.  More up-to-date labels may be available on the TDA website.

The term Section 18 label refers to a section of the federal pesticide law referred to as FIFRA (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act).  Under Section 18, states may grant exemptions to label provisions if an emergency is determined to exist.  In the case of the new crazy ant, the first exemptions were granted approximately one year ago on October 21, 2009.  The exemption will be allowed until October 21, 2012.