Bayer Launches TopChoice Fire Ant Prevention Campaign

Bayer Environmental Science, a division of Bayer CropScience, announces the launch of its TopChoice Fire Ant prevention campaign to support lawn care and pest management professionals in educating homeowners and groundskeepers about the importance of fire ant prevention.

Fire ants, which currently infest more than 325 million acres across the southern U.S., pose a serious and growing public health threat - injuring more than 20 million people each year with their stings. A full-blown colony of fire ants can number up to 500,000 members. Just one colony can have multiple queens capable of laying 1,500 eggs each, per day.

When disturbed, hundreds, sometimes thousands of ants, will attack an intruder, inflicting painful stings that, in the most severe cases, can be life threatening. Studies show that 10 to 15 percent of those stung by fire ants experience severe localized allergic reactions, with one to two percent experiencing dangerous systemic reactions that, in rare cases, result in death.

Fire ants are predominately found in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

"At Bayer, we believe that the best way to treat fire ant bites is to prevent fire ants in the first place,?EUR??,,????'?? said Cynthia Gigandet, TopChoice product marketing manager at Bayer Environmental Science. "We want to let homeowners and groundskeepers know that there is a better way to eradicate and prevent fire ant infestations. Through our Fire Ant Prevention Campaign, we are giving professionals the tools they need to keep green spaces healthy, while simultaneously growing their fire ant business."

With the launch of the Fire Ant prevention campaign lawn care and pest management professionals can request a free TopChoice Fire Ant kit at bayertopchoice.com.

Bayer Environmental Science also kicks off its TopChoice ?EUR??,,????'??Protect Against Fire Ants?EUR??,,????'?? program for groundskeepers. The program is offered to both private and public pre-schools/nursery schools, elementary and secondary school districts, colleges and universities, nursing homes and city, state and national parks and recreation departments for use on their grounds, in Alabama, Arkansas, California (Coachella Valley Only), Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia.

?EUR??,,????'??Bayer realizes that these groundskeepers have zero-tolerance zones when it comes to fire ants, and management programs are critical in protecting our pets and children,?EUR??,,????'?? said Gigandet. ?EUR??,,????'??We are committed to helping keep recreational areas fire ant free, ensuring healthy green spaces where our children and pets are safe from fire ant stings.?EUR??,,????'??

TopChoice is a low-dose, non-bait granular insecticide that requires just one annual application by a licensed professional. It provides unsurpassed control of fire ants for up to one year, virtually eliminating existing mounds and preventing new mounds from forming. TopChoice is also available on fertilizer. TopChoice + Fertilizer reduces fire ant mounds up to twice as fast as TopChoice alone and still controls fire ants for up to one full year.

Groundskeepers can choose among the following options based on their fire ant control and turf care needs:

Option 1: Buy 2 bags of TopChoice, receive 1 bag of TopChoice free
Option 2: Buy 4 bags of TopChoice + Fertilizer, receive 1 bag of TopChoice free

The promotion is available through December 31, 2012.

For more information about the Bayer/TopChoice Fire Ant prevention campaign please visit bayertopchoice.com or call your local Bayer field sales representative at 1-800-331-2867.