BAYER ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND THE GREATER MARSHALL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TURN UP THE HEAT AT THE 22ND ANNUAL FIRE ANT FESTIVAL

MARSHALL, TX (October 4, 2004) – This year's Fire Ant Festival in Marshall expects to see the largest turnout to date. The weekend of October 9-10, 25,000 visitors are expected to attend the festival, outnumbering actual residents of this small town.

Bayer Environmental Science is this year's title sponsor as part of a national outreach program aimed at educating homeowners of the danger posed by fire ants, especially to children and pets. And to make fire ant education more fun, Lucile Ball and Ricky Ricardo will be tagging along for the occasion, performing 50s themed skits during the festival.

"It's important that every visitor to the festival knows how to avoid fire ant stings, and having Lucy and Ricky act it out is a fun way to do that," says Phyllis Bryan, event coordinator for the Great Marshall Chamber of Commerce.

A fire ant festival in the fall? Absolutely. Aside from celebrating the imminent winter retreat of the fire ant, fall's cooler temperatures means increased fire ant activity, and the perfect time to treat yards. "One of the biggest misconceptions about fire ants is that they are only active in the spring and summer," says Dr. Nate Royalty, Ph.D., entomologist with Bayer Environmental Science. "Most people assume that fire ants are less active in cooler weather, but they actually come to the surface when the hot summer temperatures drop."

At the festival Bayer Environmental Science will take the opportunity to introduce their revolutionary fire ant treatment to the Marshall area. "TopChoice, the first product of its kind, offers fire ant prevention, not just elimination," says Foster McWhorter of Bayer Environmental Science. "TopChoice eliminates existing mounds and prevents new ones from forming for one year with just a single application that can be applied at any time of the year."

"Along with celebrating the end of the fire ant season, we want to educate the public about fall fire ant treatments," adds McWhorter. "People in Texas have been living with fire ants for so long that urging them to do something different, like treat in the fall, is sometimes a challenge. We hope the festival is an enjoyable way to encourage them to do so."

The festival will include a variety of zany activities for all ages including a fire ant calling contest, rubber chicken chunking, fire ant fire fly scramble, pet show, gurning contest, diaper derby, various sporting activities and a fiery chili cook-off.

Although the festivities will be at the forefront, fire ants are a serious problem, and Bayer Environmental Science, along with the Greater Marshall Chamber, want to be sure that all participants are aware that fire ants caused 33,000 people to seek medial attention last year alone. Their sting can cause blisters, allergic reactions and in extreme cases, death. Causing an estimated $2 billion a year in property and equipment damages, the havoc these pests wreak is anything but little.

For more information on the festival visit http://www.marshall-chamber.com/.