Nylanderia Fulva (Aka Raspberry Crazy Ant, Hairy Crazy Ant, Caribbean Crazy Ant)

Dan Suiter UGA Griffin Campus [email protected]; 770-233-6114 Tawny Crazy Ant Nylanderia fulva (aka Raspberry Crazy Ant, Hairy Crazy Ant, Caribbean Crazy Ant)

• Introduced into FL and TX from South America.

• Major pest where found (FL, TX, MS, LA, GA).

• SC or NC? Not yet Tawny Crazy Ant (aka Raspberry Crazy Ant, Hairy Crazy Ant, Caribbean Crazy Ant) Tawny Crazy Ant Camden County, GA August 2014 Tawny Crazy Ant Camden County, GA August 2014 TCA in Georgia Fall 2017

2013: Albany (Dougherty Cty)

2014: Camden & Glynn Cty

2015: Garden City (Chatham Cty), Quitman (Brooks Cty), Valdosta (Lowndes Cty).

2016 & 2017: None Ant Fauna on the Port of Savannah

Benjamin Gochnour

[email protected]

University of Georgia Department of Entomology Griffin, Ga 30223 23 Oceanic Ports on the West Coast 11 Oceanic Ports (LA/Longbeach #1/#2) in the Northeast 10 Ports on the (NY/NJ #3) Why Study Great Lakes the Ants on a Port?

Rich Opportunity for Pest Introductions in the Southeast

From American Association of Port Authorities 37 Oceanic Ports in the Southeast aapa-ports.org (Savannah is the 4th Busiest Port in the U.S.)

Port of Savannah, GA Ag Inspection Ramp DHS Customs & Border Protection Port of Savannah, GA Ag Inspection Ramp Port of Savannah, GA

4th busiest port in North America

Has its own railroad access

Currently deepening the port and expanding container storage area

Photo: Google Earth Results 46 species in 19 genera 14 are exotic across 10 genera Aphaenogaster carolinensis Crematogaster ashmeadi Pheidole dentata Aphaenogaster fulva Crematogaster atkinsoni Pheidole dentigula Brachymyrmex depilis Crematogaster minutissima Pheidole moerens Brachymyrmex obscurior Crematogaster pilosa Pheidole obscurithorax Brachymyrmex patagonicus Crematogaster pinicola Pseudomyrmex ejectus Brachyponera chinensis Cyphomyrmex rimosus Solenopsis abdita Camponotus castaneus Dorymyrmex bureni Solenopsis carolinensis Camponotus floridanus Hypoponera opaciceps Solenopsis invicta Camponotus impressus Hypoponera opacior Solenopsis picta Camponotus obliquus Lasius alienus Strumigenys eggersi Camponotus pennsylvanicus Linepithema humile Strumigenys membranifera Camponotus snellingi Monomorium minimum Strumigenys ornata Cardiocondyla wroughtonii Myrmecina americana Strumigenys rostrata Cardiocondyla venustula Nylanderia concina Strumigenys silvestrii Nylanderia faisonensis Strumigenys talpa Nylanderia fulva Temnothorax curvispinosus Notable Exotic Species Nylanderia fulva Multiple queens

No competition or delineation between colonies

Photo: Joe MacGown Mate in the colony (no mating flight)

Can number hundreds of thousands in a meter2

Photo: SFGate.com TCA Found

@ POS The Tawny Crazy ant June 2015 Eliminates Fire ants! July 2015 to July 2016

1. Pecan Sandie baits 2. Half square meter quadrats July 2015 July 2016 July 2015

October 2015

March 2016

July 2016

July 2015

Expansion from July 2015 to July 2016

Nylanderia fulva

Solenopsis invicta July 2016

Expansion from July 2015 to July 2016

Nylanderia fulva

Solenopsis invicta Argentine Ant Research Update (some parallels to Odorous House Ants)

Daniel R. Suiter

Department of Entomology UGA Griffin Campus 1109 Experiment Street Griffin, GA 30223-1797 [email protected] Argentine Ant Biology Complicates Control (Vega and Rust 2003) Materials and Methods

. 46 apartment buildings (single-family homes)

. Treatments: Gel Baits, Liquid Baits, Sprays

. “Area-Wide” treatments---i.e., neighboring structures received the same treatment. Treatment 1 Treatment 2

Control Treatment Treatment 3 Treatment 4 Arilon Spray Results Liquid Spray Trial

1. Talstar (0.03% at 1 gal/1,000 sf)  6-8 ft. band around 9 structures 2. Termidor (0.06% at 1.5 gal/1,000 sf)  1 up & 1 out around 12 structures 3. Arilon-Low (0.05% at 1 gal/1,000 sf)  6-8 ft. band around 7 structures 4. Arilon-High (0.05% at 4 gal/1,000 sf)  6-8 ft. band around 8 structures Argentine Ant Control

100 80 Control 85 60 Talstar 40 20 30 24 0 13 17 -20 -4 -20 -41 -40 -26

-37 Ant Activity Ant -60 -58

-80 -70 Percent Reduction in -100 1 2 3 4 6 8 Week Post-Treament Argentine Ant Control

100 80 95 Control 60 53 Termidor 40 42 28 20 -19 0 13 -20 -14 -40 -26 -20

Ant Activity Ant -37 -60 -58 -80 -70 Percent Reduction Percentin Reduction -100 1 2 3 4 6 8 Week Post-Treatment Argentine Ant Control

100 80 Arilon-Low 60 76 Control 40 56 59 20 35

0 13 -20 -17 -40 -26 -20 -31 Ant Activity Ant -37 -60 -58

-80 -70 Percent Reduction in -100 1 2 3 4 6 8

Week Post-Treament Argentine Ant Control

100 99 80 91 87 79 60 64 56 40 20 Arilon-High 0 13 -20 Control

Ant Activity Ant -20 -40 -26 -37 -60 -58 Percent Reduction in -80 -70 -100 1 2 3 4 6 8 Week Post-Treament Gels and Liquid Bait Results

(neither worked) Baits were applied in spots 1 ft. off ground and every 10 ft. around building perimeter

Gel Spot Ants trail here Gel Spot Baits were applied in spots 1 ft. off ground and every 10 ft. around building perimeter Gel & Liquid Bait Trials

PreTrt 2-Wk Post-Treatment 5-Wk Post-Treatment

100 90 90 86 86 82 Treatment 80 80 75 74 70 72 70 62 60 55 57 Trail(s) Present Trail(s) 49 50 47 43 40

30 With Ant Ant With 20

Proportion of Walls In In Walls of Proportion 10

0 Liquid A Liquid B Control Gel A Gel B Treatment More Gel BaitGel That Baits Didn’t Work 100 2007 Trial PreTrt 90 2WkPost 80 4WkPost

Treatment 70 6WkPost 60

Ant Trail(s) Present Trail(s) Ant 30

20 with

10 Proportion of Walls in in Walls of Proportion 0 Bait A Bait B Bait C Bait D Control Treatment Black Carpenter Ants: Years of Baiting Trials • Chews wood, but does not eat it (sawdust) • Outdoors, nests in trees; create permanent trails • Active at night • Control – Find colony or most likely site; provide gel or granular bait Carpenter Ants

Outdoors, carpenter ants nest mainly in large, hardwood trees. Outdoors, carpenter ants nest mainly in large, hardwood trees. Outdoors, carpenter ants nest mainly in large, hardwood trees. Carpenter Ants Construct Permanent Trails Carpenter Ants Construct Permanent Trails Carpenter Ants Forage Mainly at Night 500 4 Ants Li ght 3 400

2 300 1 200 0

Number of Ants

100 Light (lumens/sqft) -1

0 -2

3:00 6:00 9:00 3:00 6:00 9:00 3:00 6:00 9:00 3:00 6:00 9:00

Noon

Midnight Time of Day Midnight Deliver Granular & Gel Baits from Piles ON TRAILS or Where Ants are Seen During Day Hardwood Ants foraging indoors Tree from indoors and from nests in trees

Permanent Trail

Nest in Tree Carpenter ant colony Ants in kitchen

15 ants Ant trail from painted tree to home blue MaxForce Carpenter Ant Bait Gel (0.001% fipronil) MaxForce Gel: Colony Baited July 8, 2011 1,000+ Dead Carpenter Ants Optigard Carpenter Ant Bait Gel (0.01% thiamethoxam) Advion Carpenter Ant Bait Gel (0.05% indoxacarb) Carpenter Ant Baitings

Advance Granular Carpenter Ant Bait (0.011% abamectin B1) Carpenter Ant Baitings Borate Bait #1 Carpenter Ant Baitings

Borate Bait #2

The Key to Carpenter Ant Control is to Find and Remove the Colony

Given The Quality of Today’s Carpenter Ant Baits…

…Think Elimination! Bait “Dumping” Mound Ants Formica sp. Mound Ant Baiting: Advance granules and MaxForce gel Mound Ant Baiting: Advance Granules and MaxForce Gel Beware of Bait “Dumping” by Ants

This is a Mound Ant Formica sp.

Trends in Ant Control:

(2) Response of field-collected ants. J. B. Holloway J. B. Holloway From Choe et al. From Choe et al.

Cuticular smells tell workers what do to with dead nestmates and live brood.

Can we mimic these smells on an insecticide- contaminated substrate? J. B. Holloway B. Wiltz et al. Argentine Ant Mortality from Handling Fipronil-Killed Nestmates 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50%

Mortality 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 10 20 30 Temperature control 2% 5% 10% 20% B. Wiltz et al.

Trends in Ant Control:

• Natural products • Pheromones • Other behavior-modifying chemicals • Mass Trapping: “Today’s extreme is tomorrow’s norm” • Don’t laugh. Could you have imagined 20 years ago that people would willingly wait in line for a $5 cup of coffee? Argentine ants nest in mulch and leaf litter because they retain moisture. Argentine Ants Move Indoors During Winter! Winter-Time Activity of Argentine Ants in a Hospital 1800 1,465 1500 1200 900 629 600 300 0 Nurses in Two Years Two in Nurses Fall/Winter Spring/Summer

Number of Complaints by by Complaints of Number (September-February) (March-August) Time of Year Mass-Trapping Argentine ants (1913) (add moisture, heat, and pheromone)

Recent Insecticide Trends in Managing Pests in Residential Environments:

Go Green! “Green” Pest Control Products

…are largely those containing plant essential oils

(peppermint, spearmint, cedar). Characteristics of Plant Essential Oils

• Contact Toxicity: Low to Moderate in comparison to traditional actives.

• Topical Toxicity: Low to Moderate in comparison to traditional actives. Characteristics of Plant Essential Oils • Fumigant Toxicity: Moderate to High in comparison to traditional actives. • Repellency/Deterrency: High in comparison to traditional actives. • Volatility: High in comparison to traditional actives. Question How can Green pest control programs based on a set of actives that show little contact toxicity, are highly repellent, and ephemeral (volatile) be so profitable? Placebo Effect R. B. Bausell, Ph.D. A Placebo is a pharmacologically inactive substance (or procedure) that can have a therapeutic effect if administered to a patient who believes that he or she is receiving an effective treatment.

A PE is not something that occurs “naturally”. It must be manufactured in the sense that it occurs only in the presence of therapeutic intent (or the perception of such intent). The Placebo Effect Ultrasonic Devices Do Not Repel or Kill Pests! They “Work” by Placebo So, Why Are Companies Going Green?

(other than the fact that it’s profitable) In Part, Pest Management Companies are Moving to Green Services Because…

• In California, pesticides in water have led to restrictions on product use around homes.

• The “climate” of bee protection, including (a) CCD and the role that pesticides might play, and (b) the Oregon Bee Kills, has led to EPA restrictions on the use of neonicotinoids (soon these restrictions will be for all spray products, says EPA).

• Fewer basic manufacturers developing fewer active ingredients (cost prohibitive). January 2013 EPA Mandate Impacts Homeowner and Professional Use of Pyrethroid Insecticides Outside

Pyrethroid Insecticides Found in Water In Part, Pest Management Companies are Moving to Green Services Because…

• In California, pesticides in water have led to restrictions on product use around homes.

• Fewer basic manufacturers developing fewer active ingredients (cost prohibitive). Future of Labeling

1. Protection of Pollinators (neonics and bees) Per EPA, there will likely be pollinator protection language on pesticide labels other than neonicotinoids.

2. Protection of Aquatic Life (pyrethroid restrictions) Will remain a priority. Likely similar restrictions coming for other spray products. Continued slow move toward reducing use patterns of liquids.

Impact on mosquito treatments? In Part, Pest Management Companies are Moving to Green Services Because…

• In California, pesticides in water have led to restrictions on product use around homes.

• Fewer basic manufacturers developing fewer active ingredients (cost prohibitive). Chemical Industry Consolidation Many Fewer Companies to Support the Pest Control Industry Today Compared to Years Past

19901990 19951995 20002000 2006

2017 Big Players: 1. Syngenta (Chem China) 2. Bayer (Monsanto) 3. BASF 4. Dow Ag Theoretical Cash Flow of Product Lifecycle Using Imidacloprid as an Example 250 2000 $90m; Break Even after 16 Years (Income = Expenses) 200 Decision: Go Spend 150M over 1500 150 6-7 years? Global Launch After 100 $195m; 1000 $35m MSDS Data 11 years & $240m

50 500 0

Income / Expenditure 0 Cumulative cash flow -50 Patent Expires-Generics Compete -100 -500 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 TIME

Annual expenditure Annual income Cumulative cash flow Pesticide Development is Really Expensive! Fewer basic manufacturers are developing fewer traditional active ingredients. Why?

1. Development costs for essential oils are usually significantly lower (no registration data required because these actives are exempt from EPA registration requirements---think of EcoExempt product line).

2. While the need for products in structural pest control markets are high, the markets are not large relative to major crop markets.

3. For insecticides, structural products are usually “add-on” markets to agricultural uses for a new active ingredient (e.g., fipronil in 2000 for termites). Manufacturers are reformulating the same active ingredients (many are now generic) to come out with new products.

 Combining Active Ingredients  Transport (FMC)  Temprid (Bayer)  Tandem (Syngenta)  Fuse (CSI)  New formulations

 Termidor HE and Dry (BASF)  Suspend Polyzone (Bayer)  EndZone (FMC)

J. Spagnoli Consulting Cicada Killers Cicada Killers…

• Predators on Cicadas – Bury the cicadas underground – Beneficial • Non-aggressive – Solitary – Do not defend their nests Cicadas

• Feed on trees • Loud • Usually not seen …and Velvet Ants

• Parasites on cicada killers – Go underground into cicada killer nests • Females are wingless – Will sting if handled • Males have dark wings – Don’t have stingers Whodunnit? Acrobat ants, that who? • Debris is often chewed insulation and: – insect parts (beetle wings they cannot eat) – dead acrobat ants

• Look for trailing ants along structural guidelines. • Bait, but which one? • Cut vegetation away from structure. Acrobat ants like to nest in foam insulation