Question
Hi Charlotte,
I'm not sure if my question reached you or not, so just want to say I prepared a mix of the epsom/orange oil to put down tomorrow (Saturday).  Would you tell me if it is too soon to apply?  I couldn't get much help regarding when the ants & termites swarm from Texas aggie/horticulture office.  Please let me know, though it might be already applied to the yard.  That being the case, how long will the effects of the treatment last? Thanks again, Ruth

Answer
Are you in the DFW area?
I haven't put any down yet, but it is not necessarily too early.
Channel 5 news usually says something about it being time to watch for fire ants, and I haven't heard anything about it yet.
The orange oil is for fire ants, and I guess it works on other types of ants. Lemon oil does.
I put cedar bark mulch for the termites.
You could go ahead and put that down too.
Just scatter enough to cover lightly, not evnly all over.
My lot is 65Xabout 80, and I use about 5 or 6 bags for the whole yard, and be sure to put a trail of it around the foundation of the house, about 3 or 4 inches wide, and an inch or two deep.
As soon as the spring starts to warm uup, out they come, so it is close.
If you are further south, and it is getting warmer, you may get them sooner than we do up here.
that cedar should last till into summer, about 3 or 4 months.
I use it all over the yard, because I have honeysuckle, and that attracts termites, and I put it down for fleas and ticks too, so I put it all over.
I put termites swarm in north texas in my search engine, and I got college station.
It sayd they are swarming now.
Here is the address where I found it.
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http://www.ntxe-news.com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi?archive=16&num=33934

Read that page.
Charlotte