For the benefit of new members and anyone not aware of our fire ant control initiative here is a quick review and update:

We are working with Dr. Lawrence E. Gilbert, Research Professor and Section Director at the University of Texas, Austin on use of the microscopic Phorid fly to control Brazilian fire ants in Bee County. The fly is microscopic, attacks only the Brazilian fly, and has been established in areas closer to Austin but not successfully in South Texas.

Dr. Gilbert conducted a local workshop for us where we learned about the program and how to conduct fire ant surveys and how to select places to establish the flies. On the same visit Dr. Gilbert toured several local ranches looking for prospective sites. We are now in the process of finalizing the group of people that will go to UT for detailed training in the next few weeks. We are trying to firm up the date with Dr. Gilbert at this time.

Following the training we will harvest ants on two ranches in Bee County, one in the Mineral area and one off Hwy 202, and take them to Austin to be infected with the flies, and then return them back to their original mounds.

In an interesting side note, National Geographic plans to do a documentary on fire ants in Texas and on Dr. Gilbert’s work. BCWMA directors and officers hosted one of their program directors late last month as he toured Tom Keller’s and my ranch for potential video/film shooting sites. They may want to expand their shooting locations to other area properties, and if so we may be contacting you for permission. We should learn more in May.