Customer Reviews for Extinguish Plus Fire Ant Bait

I had high hopes for Extinguish Plus after reading an in-depth online review on fireant control from Texas. It was listed as one of the most cost-effective treatments - and I took the bait (pun intended). I have a 3 acre lot and the recommended application rate was 1 - 1.5 lbs / acre.... so, the 4.5 lb should have been just what I needed - right? Well, it sounded like a good idea until the product arrived.... the volume of the 4.5 lbs is quite small, making it next to impossible to accurately distribute over a large area with any common hand or drop spreader. I called DoMyOwnPestControl first to see if they had any recommendations.... the naive young lady who answered my call told me MOST people buy the 20 lb bag....... that would be about 7 times the recommended application rate (and over $200)!!! I'm sure the EPA would not look favorably on such wreckless advice. I then called the manufacturer - they recommended I map out 20' by 20' grids and apply the product in small mounds at the intersection of the grid lines...... so, that's what I did - a painstaking process that took several hours. I checked the bait after application and did see ants foraging the material. It's been over 2 weeks now - and the ants are as thick as they ever were... I detect little, if any, effectiveness. I would have done just as well to throw $70+ in nickles, dimes and pennies over the lawn. Don't waste your money (or time) with this product unless you plan on overdosing the environment with a 20 lb bag.....

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55 of 112 people found this review helpful

Product did kill some ants, but after second application, still had some ants. The ants moved to a new location instead of being killed. Would definitely try another product.

  Expert response:
We would recommend testing to see if the target ants are actively foraging before you apply the bait. A great test if to use a potato chip to see if fire ants are attracted to it. The best times to bait will be usually in the early morning or late afternoon and when soil temperatures are above 60 degrees F. Also be sure to keep the bait dry; do not apply within 6 hours of a rain event as wet bait will not be attractive. If you have further questions, we are always happy to assist you over the phone as well at 866-581-7378 M-F 9a-5p EST.

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1 of 1 people found this review helpful

After reading the reviews I was really hoping to take care of my ant problem. I mound treated, which I know it says is not as effective as broadcast, but I expected to kill at least one mound. It's been 9 days since treatment and it did not work. Not even the tiniest ant pile died. They ate the bait like crazy, but all for not. Time to try something else.

  Expert response:
Thank you for your comments. When using ant baits, we recommend reapplying the bait as long as the ants are accepting it. Sometimes this will be for a few days, sometimes a few weeks, depending on the size of the population. Be sure you are applying the bait when ants are actively foraging and soil temperatures are above 60 degrees. Also be sure the bait stays dry, since wet bait will be less attractive. You could also choose to treat individual mounds with an insecticide that is labeled for this use. Talstar P is a popular and economical choice: http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/talstar-talstar-one-p-97.html. Per the product label: "Treat mounds by applying 1 oz Talstar Professional per mound in 1 to 2 gallons water by sprinkling the mound until it is wet and treat 3 feet out around the mound. Use the higher volume for mounds larger than 12

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1 of 1 people found this review helpful

So far I have applied the fire ant bait twice in the last 3 weeks and have not seen any results of them dieing off. In fact they seem to be enlarging their territory!! Any suggestions please!!!! They are in my front yard area and at the adjacent neighbor property...

  Expert response:
We are sorry that you are not seeing the results you expected from the Extinguish Plus. It is possible that the fire ants in the area are not actively foraging and, therefore, not interested in any baits. I would take a few moments to review our Fire Ant Treatment Guide which includes tips for bait and also mound drenching with insecticide: http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/how-to-get-rid-of-fire-ants-a-470.html

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6 of 6 people found this review helpful

I chose this product because it is safe for use in horse pastures and it was recommended by DoMyOwnPestControl. I treated 10 mounds with this product, after 2 weeks of application the the mounds are still there and thriving. I would have at least expected the ants to move and create another mound as I have seen them do with other products. NOT recommended

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1 of 2 people found this review helpful

I used the Extinguish on a fire ant mound but it didn't kill any of them. When I checked it a few days later the entire colony was still there. No sign of dead ants. Will not buy this product again.

  Expert response:
Thank you for your feedback! Fire Ants can be tricky to treat because baits will only be effective while they are foraging. If the ants are not foraging - which is likely during the winter months - then you will need to rely on insecticides until the ants are looking for food again. A good quick test is to drop a few potato chips near a mound (without disturbing the mound) and then checking back in a couple hours to see if the ants are foraging on the chips. If they are, then it is a good time to bait. You can view more information and videos in our Fire Ant Treatment Guide here: http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/how-to-get-rid-of-fire-ants-a-470.html We are also always happy to assist you over the phone at 866-581-7378, via Live Chat, or by email at [email protected]. We appreciate your feedback and your business!

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32 of 33 people found this review helpful

This was a waste of money! Did absolutely nothing! Buy Terra ant stakes.

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1 of 5 people found this review helpful

Fire ants just moved to new location. Very pricey. Going back to Amdro. Works better at half the price.

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have not found this to be an effective treatment. ants return to treated area within a short time.

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I started using the 5 lb product in August. For awhile it looked like it was really helping but now fire ants are multiplying. Large mounds. The customer service dept does not offer a money back guarantee and recommended that I use it for at least 2 years. This stuff is not cheap. I think I will go back to Amdro

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I bought this product for the first time. I have all kind of ants in my backyard and nome of them liked the Extinguished Plus bait. Very disappointed :(

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I have treated several mounds twice in the past 2 weeks and they are still thriving! The ants take the bait but it doesn't kill! Huge waste of money, I'm going to try to get a refund after I finish this review. I have much better luck with the stuff from the big box stores.

  Expert response:
We apologize you did not achieve the intended results. We would welcome the opportunity to troubleshoot the application to help get you the results you need. Please contact us at your earliest convenience!

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Used as directed. Ants were on my potato chips in minutes. I spread it over 21/2 acres. (Says it will cover 3 acres ). After ten days, some beds are dead. Some are still active. A lot of work, little results!

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I have treated the mound and broadcast in the yard and haven't seen any good results. Didn't work for me.

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3 of 3 people found this review helpful

I used as directed to treat individual amounts and of all the many ant hills I treat, only 1 very small hill was "extinguish"ed. In fact, the hills have now spread and multiplied so not only am I out $25 for a wasted effort, I now need to spend extra on another application. Upon application, I could observe the ants readily feeding and harvesting the bait - so it was certainly attractive, but ultimately mostly ineffective. Very disappointed because I read many great reviews on this product. Since I am trying to keep to a budget, I looked for a product that would do the job in one shot.

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11 of 14 people found this review helpful

I have used extinguish with good results. The Extinguish Plus does not work as well. It only got rid of 50% of the fire ant colonies. I suspect the insecticide in the plus kills the workers before the bait reaches the queen. I assume she never receives the IGR. It would be better if the plus is dropped and the original Extinguish is brought back in a size suitable for home owners. In addition, I need the product quickly. Otherwise I would have gone to Amazon where the price was lower.

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2 of 2 people found this review helpful

This product was recommended to me by DoMyOwn and I have had very poor results. I followed the directions but not much luck. One time when I put it out it did rain soon after and I really didn't factor that in with my results. The other mounds have been, at best, similar to other less expensive baits where the ants just relocated very close to where they were before the treatment. Disappointed in North Florida.

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This product definitely makes a mound inactive within a few days, but it seems the ants just pack up and move to a different spot. For every mound I kill, a new one appears within a week. It's a never ending battle.

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Its been two weeks since I applied this to my yard. So far I see some reduction in the fire ant numbers but they are not gone for sure. I plan to do another treatment come spring and hope my summer is ant free! The ants do seem less in number and sluggish right now, but that could be just the winter time making them hide.

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2 of 2 people found this review helpful

The ants saw the pellets and moved to another location. If your really quiet you can hear them laughing and saying.....he thinks he's killing us but we found a new home.

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It did not kill every hill. I'd say it got around 70%.

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I have been studying the effectiveness of various toxins in controlling a serious northern fire ant infestation on a small island off the coast of Maine. So far, the most practical combination seems to be an Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) followed by Hydramethylnon. Initially, I used Methoprene (Extinguish) and hydramethylnon (Amdro) sequentially, separated by about a week, then, a few weeks later, followed up with the two together (Extinguish-Plus). This seems to have virtually eliminated the fire ants from the treated area, at least for the present season. In another area, I used the Extinguish-Plus alone about a week ago. So far I have seen many piles of dead ant carcasses, indicating that the bait is working, but there are still plenty of worker ants busily carrying away more carcasses, so only more time will tell whether the substances used together is as good as the two used separately. I welcome the experience of others using these and other toxins.

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51 of 53 people found this review helpful

Worked as advertised. Arrived in a timely manner(UPS).

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4 of 5 people found this review helpful

I moved into a new property where the prior owners weren't so good about treating for fire ants and there were hills everywhere. With 3 dogs I wanted to make sure that the yard was safe for them so I spread this over 3 acres in November and within about a week all the active ant hills died. Within the next week, however, I noticed new ant hills sprouting up and have been spot treating them. Come springtime I plan to do another broadcast spreading and am hopeful that will get things under control.

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8 of 8 people found this review helpful

Kills fire ants quickly, and they don't come back. The only down side is it goes bad in just a few months, even faster if exposed to moisture (like the heat and humidity here in Austin), so keep in inside not in the garage or shed.

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18 of 18 people found this review helpful

This stuff really works! No sign of any activity the next day or any relocation of the colony.

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2 of 2 people found this review helpful

I have been using Extinguish Plus for the past 3 years. I have found it to be effective in controlling the population of fire ants. I use a Herd Kasco GT-77-ATV Broadcast Seeder/Spreader for ATV's to distribute Extinguish Plus. I follow the instructions provided by Auburn University based on the Moundville Study. The study reveals that it is better to eliminate most of the mounds, not all and let the remaining ones kill off new invaders. I apply in May and late August and only when the ants are active. Late in the day, after sundown. Drop a few potato chips around and if ants are present in 15 to 39 minutes, it is the time to apply. There seems to be a residual effect as I find fewer new mounds before treatment. Precision application is the key and the spreader provides exact distribution.

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19 of 21 people found this review helpful

Still working, saw results the next day. They immediately went for the product. So far so good. Will hold on 5 stars until I see final results. All in all it works. However still some roaming around will treat again soon.

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1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Our new property in Florida was neglected, except for ants. Tons of species, sizes, mounds and areas covered with the lil bastards. Following directions, waiting for them to forage, dry, cool mornings and sparse spreading didn't solve issue. I needed to repeat several times, week after week, and then still have to treat mounds as they continue to survive. Problem has improved over time, but not a quick fix for sure. Good Luck.

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2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Gets rid of 90% of fire ants. Use two times a year for great results.

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4 of 4 people found this review helpful