La Llorona Park could reopen next week after being closed because of an infestation of a non-native fire ant species.

The city is trying a different approach to get rid of the ants after cool temperatures and rain in the past week hindered the application of an insecticide, city spokesman Terry Kelly said.

Matthew Lee, the city's entomology consultant, said he will apply a different, longer-lasting insecticide, which is widely used in Texas and the South on the ant.

"It's a very safe product," he said. "It's very effective as well."

The park, which stretches about 4 miles along the Rio Grande near Picacho Avenue, has been closed since Feb. 17 because the ants can cause health problems. They have painful stings and cause severe allergic reactions in some people.

A Las Cruces police officer cited one man Wednesday for driving around a barrier at the park and disregarding posted signs about the park's closure.

Kelly said the park could reopen by mid-week, depending on how the treatment is going.

The weather will still play a role in how quickly the ants are eradicated, Lee said. They don't leave their nests during cool weather, he said, which must happen for them to contact the insecticide.

The previous insecticide used was a granular bait that ants would carry back into their nests and eat, Lee said, but recent rains washed the active ingredient off the bait, making it ineffective. The new insecticide, known as TopChoice, will not have that problem, he said.

"It's going to give us even longer control," Lee said.

The active ingredient in TopChoice is Fipronil, which is found in the flea and tick medication Frontline, Lee said.

The insecticide, a granular form that sinks into the grass, kills ants after they come into contact with it while looking for food, he said.

Severa Soto of Las Cruces recently chopped weeds at her son's house near the park. She said she takes her grandchildren to the park so they can fish.

"I haven't seen any (ants)," she said, but "when we see insects, we spray them."

Courtesy of the Las Cruces Sun-News