Educational and Awareness Campaigns

I led a team of Texas A&M, University of Texas, and Texas Agriculture Department communicators to obtain state funding for a special research and education initiative to manage fire ants as well as to educate Texans to "tackle fire ants in the fall for fewer ants in the spring." The educational campaign featured cartoon ants that obviously had been tackled. The campaign involved a Web site, a 30-second television PSA, a radio PSA, billboards, flyers to display at home and garden centers, newspaper ads, cable and theater ads, paycheck inserts, news releases, and fact sheets. This campaign received many local, regional, and national awards. Here is an excerpt from one of the fact sheets:

Tackle Fire Ants in the Fall for Fewer Ants in the Spring

Every year you resolve to win the war against fire ants. And every year you experience the agony of defeat. But it's your home turf, so this year take control of the game.

Play in the fall. Late August through early October is an ideal time to apply fire ant bait to your lawn--ants are still foraging and weather patterns are more predictable so you can apply bait when no rain is expected for several days after treatment. Baits are slow acting, taking weeks to months to reduce ant mound numbers. It's a lot easier to be patient with baits while holed up inside during the winter than in the spring, when you're anxious to get outdoors--without getting stung.