Ortho’s 2-Step Method Prepares Southern Homeowners for Seasonal Fire Ants

MARYSVILLE, Ohio, April 13, 2016 -- Spring has finally arrived and homeowners are excited to enjoy their outdoor spaces, but with milder temperatures comes the risk of fire ants that sting and bite. As the ground begins to soften and spring showers build moisture, foraging fire ants can make their way into lawns and landscapes looking for food and new nesting sites. These pests can create mounds with tunnels many feet below the surface of your lawn. As a leader in do-it-yourself pest control, Ortho is helping protect homes and communities across the south with its 2-Step Method for treating fire ants.  

“Fire ants are most prevalent during the spring and fall, when temperatures are milder,” said ScottsMiracle-Gro lawn and garden expert Ashton Ritchie. “These pests pose a great risk to families, especially ones that plan to spend a lot of time outdoors. I know the best way to protect my home and yard is with Ortho’s 2-Step Method. It is incredibly effective and easy to use!”

Homeowners struggle to control fire ants because the mounds that they see are only a symptom of the bigger problem. Fire ant colonies are very active under the ground and can have many queens and multiple mounds connected by underground tunnels. Treating the visible mounds may not solve the whole problem.

How to Treat Fire Ants
Step 1 – Kill the Mound:
Treat mounds you see with a granular product or a dust, such as Ortho® Orthene® Fire Ant Killer. This product is designed to kill the queen and destroy the mound.

Step 2 – Protect the Ground:
Treating only the mounds you see is not enough to completely get rid of fire ants. That is because not all fire ant mounds are easily seen. Colonies may remain active underground, hidden from sight. Additionally, new queens can fly in to establish colonies or foraging fire ants may enter the yard to look for food. Using a broadcast product like Ortho® MAX® Fire Ant Killer Broadcast Granules will protect your lawn by killing foraging fire ants and controlling new fire ant mounds from forming for up to six months.

Ortho® Orthene® Fire Ant Killer and Ortho® MAX® Fire Ant Killer Broadcast Granules are both available at local retailers like Home Depot, Lowe’s, Walmart and ACE Hardware.

Ortho is part of the ScottsMiracle-Gro family of products.

About ScottsMiracle-Gro:
With approximately $3 billion in worldwide sales, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company is the world's largest marketer of branded consumer products for lawn and garden care. The Company's brands are some of the most recognized in the industry. In the U.S., the Company's Scotts®, Miracle-Gro® and Ortho® brands are market-leading in their categories, as is the consumer Roundup® brand, which is marketed in North America and most of Europe exclusively by Scotts and owned by Monsanto. In the U.S., the Company operates Scotts LawnService®, the second largest residential lawn care service business.  In Europe, the Company's brands include Weedol®, Pathclear®, Evergreen®, Levington®, Miracle-Gro®, KB®, Fertiligène® and Substral®.  In 2015, the Company ranked on Forbes 100 Most Reputable Companies in America. For additional information, visit the Company’s website at www.scottsmiraclegro.com.

For media inquiries:

Kim Markus
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company
[email protected]
937-644-7290

Annika Tunberg	
Zeno Group for The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company
[email protected]
312-321-4862