Fire Ant Fears in Florida
Jacob Silver takes a risk every time he steps foot outdoors. He is highly allergic to fire ants, as his father came to realize quite by accident when Jacob was just three years old. Jacob’s father, L.R. Silver, remembers that frightful day when his only son inadvertently stepped into a fire ant mound.

The Silver family had spent the afternoon in a park near their home in Sarasota, Florida. Jacob, like many three-year olds, romped around in the grass, unaware of the danger that lay before him. No fire ant mounds were visible to L.R. and his wife, so no precautions were taken. Unfortunately, Jacob walked into a mound and was stung.

Within minutes, Jacob experienced symptoms. According to Silver, Jacob’s face swelled rapidly and he appeared to be going into shock.

“His face was swelling and he was having trouble breathing. It was a very scary situation, and we wanted to get him to the hospital right away,” Silver explains.

Fortunately, Jacob was treated without delay, and he suffered no long-term injuries. However, he must now carry epinephrine in an auto-injector (Epi-Pen®) with him whenever he thinks he may encounter fire ants. For a 13 year-old boy who lives in Florida and loves the outdoors, this can be a serious inconvenience.

With fire ants now infesting more than 325 million acres across the southern United States, and migrating further north and west, more and more families feel they are forced to live with fire ants — avoiding them as best they can.  Ten years later, the Silver family was still searching for a way to rid their lawn of fire ants. Silver tried everything, but says, “They still kept coming back!”

Recently, Silver learned of a revolutionary new weapon to fight back in his war against these resilient pests: TopChoice™. In February 2004, the Silver family lawn was treated with the professionally applied insecticide and has been fire ant free ever since.

“I’m thrilled that my son can now play outside on our property without having to worry — and I don’t have to worry about him being stung by fire ants,” says Silver.

Bayer Sponsors Ashburn, Georgia’s Fire Ant Festival
Just in time for fire ant season, Bayer Environmental Science traveled to Ashburn, Georgia to host the Ninth Annual Fire Ant Festival, an annual event attended by more than 25,000 Georgia residents. With arts and crafts, cook-offs, races, a pet parade, fireworks, musical performances, demonstrations and a 5K run, the festival offered something for everyone. Bayer representatives and local lawn care companies were on hand to educate attendees on how TopChoice™ controls the festival’s namesake nuisance.

This year’s festival featured a “Nifty Fifties” theme. Events included a lip synching contest starring Marilyn Monroe, Elvis and Buddy Holly, and a classic car show.  Not to be upstaged, Ricky Ricardo and Lucille Ball performed for the audience, adding another light-hearted touch to show southerners how they can deal with the crucial issue of fire ants.

Is your pet safe?
A few tips for a sting-free summer:

1. Survey the area.
Visually inspect your property to determine the magnitude of infestation. If one or more mounds are present, your property should be treated.

2. Protect pets where they play, run and sleep.
Pay particular attention to areas where animals are kenneled. Confined pets are defenseless against fire ant stings.

3. Eliminate fire ant lures.
Fire ants are attracted to pet food. They can blanket a food bowl, making it dangerous for pets to eat. Feed pets and store foods in areas away from fire ants (on or near any dirt/grass/trees/plant beds).  Animals with open sores, “hot spots,” irritated skin, bandaged wounds or limited mobility are more vulnerable and attractive to fire ants. They are also more likely to suffer severe reactions to the fire ant venom.

Orlando Home Show
The TopChoice™ team recently “worked the crowd” at the Central Florida Home and Garden Show on April 2 - 4 in Orlando at the new Orange County Convention Center.  The team was represented by local lawn care professionals, including TruGreen/ChemLawn, Truly Nolen and Middleton.  The famous Legends 600 simulator made the trip as well to provide entertainment for attendees.

Share Your Story…
Every quarter, TopChoice Times invites readers to send in personal stories highlighting their experiences and encounters with fire ants.  We will select one each quarter to include in the next newsletter.  To share your story with us, simply click on the following e-mail address and “fire” away! 

keskin@tierneyagency.com