Please note spinosad though it approved for organic farming doesn’t mean it can’t be harmful. For example sulfur is approved for fungal issues but you don’t want to eat or drink it or get it on your skin, body, eyes. etc. You have detergents, things like floor cleaners, alcohols, bug sprays for indoors, etc but they will make you sick or kill you if ingested. Doesn’t mean because it’s approved for home use that it’s safe if used off label directions. People buy stuff all the time and never think to read the label or check the website for complete instructions. SPINOSAD is highly toxic to bees and I worry about it around any pollinators or even my hummers — anything around the flowers or pollen. I would never use when bees etc are active. So I use it before sun comes up and after sunset when most bees etc have gone to nests or settled for the night. Keep in mind besides the bees which you need to pollinate your veggies and fruits or even to get seed pods for self seeding plants or for seed to harvest and re- plant — if you are a butterfly lover — spinosad will kill them. So don’t use it around butterfly plants where they will lay eggs. Know the butterflies you want to keep, what plant they lay eggs on that then feed on the same plants as they become bigger caterpillars that then grow up to be beautiful butterflies. Check the National Pesticide Cemter for this synthetic man made chemical. Note — Spinosad topical suspension is a novel neurotoxin indicated for the treatment of head lice in children 6 months and older. I’m sure it’s effective but we need to keep in mind this is a relative new product (2003 I believe) and we haven’t had the time to see what it might cause 50 years down the road. I would use it in some cases but just know the way it works - some of the bugs still have to chew on your plant to get it in their system. Others like bees can be effective by just contact spray at that moment. Others have to eat the leaf etc and it stops their digestion and they die from starvation. It’s registered in Canada for example and as in other countries more careful with their citizens who can’t use even a fraction of the chemicals we are allowed — but in Canada it can’t be used for organic gardens or farm operations. S. spinosa was isolated from soil collected inside a nonoperational sugar mill rum still in the Virgin Islands. There are 20 natural forms and over 200 synthetic forms. We are all smart enough to know we are no longer getting the natural forms at this point. It’s all commercially produced synthetically produced. I don’t know how they get away with saying it’s natural whether it’s organic or not. It’s used all over the world for many issues.

Found a homemade Horticultural Glue recipe on an Australian forum. I have not tried it yet. I cannot buy Horticultural Glue on the island - just not available. If anyone knows about using axle grease on the trunk of trees, can you please let me know if I can put the grease directly on the bark? Homemade Horticultural Glue Recipe Basic Waterproof Glue 6 tbsp water 2 packets unflavored gelatin (1/2 oz.) 2 tbsp white vinegar 2 tsp glycerine Bring water to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in gelatin until it is dissolved. Add vinegar and glycerin and stir well. Let the mixture cool slightly and pour into a jar and seal tightly. To Use: This glue is best applied while warm. Apply to surfaces using a brush. Glue will gel after a few days. To re-use, warm by placing the jar in a pan of hot water. I think that the rain will just wash this away in no time at all. But I will try it once the dry season has started.

Likely other forums where you find more help with this question than this one. ;) But I did find a number of discussions about them from both Garden Pests and the Southern Gardening forums. Linked them below. Good luck. ;) Dave Here is a link that might be useful: Controlling Fireants discussions

For me I have found just water with a few drops of dish soap do the job. It washes off the waxy coating and you should see them curl up and die. Now you will not get the queen as she will be at the bottom of the mound and they try to protect her. Even if you kill her they will create a new one. But they do not like being bothered and after a while they will move away form that area.