ImportedImported FireFire Ants,Ants, CompetitorCompetitor AntsAnts andand ImpactImpact ofof AntAnt BaitBait ProductsProducts
BartBart M.M. Drees,Drees, NathanNathan Riggs,Riggs, BradBrad Vinson,Vinson, AshaAsha RoaRoa andand PallaviPallavi MokkaralaMokkarala
SS#1411 & CD#14 Management Considerations ______
Competitor Ants Ant Baits Pest Ant Identification ______
Photos by TAMU Chaldidoid Lab ______
RedRed ImportedImported FireFire AntAnt SolenopsisSolenopsis invictainvicta EatEat seeds,seeds, insects,insects, proteinsproteins LivesLives indoorsindoors andand outdoorsoutdoors ______Brood and Adult Ants ______
Multiple queen colony in laboratory Caste Development
______and Life Stages______
Worker brood & workers
Queen & eggs
Sexual brood and winged reproductives Other Fire Ants ______Southern Fire Ant SolenopsisSolenopsis geminatageminata EatsEats seeds,seeds, insects,insects, sweetssweets NestsNests outdoorsoutdoors
Top photo by L. Gilbert showing S. geminata on left and S. invicta on right Other Ant Species ______• 291 ant species occur in Texas (O’Keefe et al. 2000) • Most species are beneficial by preying on other arthropods and tilling soil • Some species have restricted habitats or do not compete directly with imported fire ants • Fire ants reduce native and competitor species Other Ant Species ______
CarpenterCarpenter AntsAnts CamponotusCamponotus sppspp.. EatsEats deaddead insects,insects, otherother proteinsproteins NestNest inin woodwood (indoors(indoors && out)out) Other Ant Species ______TexasTexas LeafLeaf CutterCutter AntsAnts AttaAtta texanatexana EatEat fungusfungus growngrown onon leavesleaves NestNest OutdoorsOutdoors Other Ant Species ______
AcrobatAcrobat AntsAnts CrematogasterCrematogaster spp.spp. EatEat insects,insects, sweetssweets LiveLive indoorsindoors && outout Other Ants Species ______
Pharaoh (Sugar) Ant Monomorium pharaonis Eat proteins, sweets Nests mostly indoors
• Invades small fire ant colonies (<500 workers) • Can competes with fire ants indoors ______
RedRed HarvesterHarvester AntsAnts
PogonomyrmexPogonomyrmex barbatusbarbatus
EatEat seeds,seeds, grasses,grasses, deaddead insectsinsects
NestNest outdoorsoutdoors Red Harvester Ant Disappearance ______• Harvester ants do not compete directly with imported fire ants; can live side by side temporarily • Fire ants prey on harvester ants and ultimately may raid the nest • Fire ants prey on founding harvester ant queens, preventing new colony establishment • Harvester ant colonies are eliminated by ant bait products like Amdro® Competitor Ant Species ______• Predators of newly mated queen ants • Directly eliminate small ant colonies • Compete for food and nesting resources Competitor Ant Species ______
Thief Ant Solenopsis molesta Eat insects, proteins Nest outdoors in other ants’ nests • Invades small fire ant colonies (<240 workers) • Squirts venom, steals brood • Small size allows workers to hide and avoid capture Competitor Ant Species ______
Little Black Ant Monomorium minimum Eat Insects, Sweets Nest Outdoors
• Invades small fire ant colonies (<500 workers or 3 months old); preys on founding fire ant queens • Uses directed spray of venom to kill 2 fire ants for every Monomorium killed; preys on fire ant brood Predatory and Competitor Ants ______
Little black ants attacking fire Photographs by Asha Rao, TAMU ant queen Competitor Ant Species ______Pavement Ants (Exotic) Tetramorium spp. Eat dead insects, grease, sweets Nest indoors and out • Preys on founding fire ant queens • Invades small fire ant colonies (<240 workers) • Very aggressive fighters that bite but use no venom Predatory and Competitor Ants ______
Pavement ants attacking fire Photographs by Asha Rao, TAMU ant queen Competitor Ant Species ______ForeliusForelius (Cheese)(Cheese) AntsAnts Forelius mccooki Eats Sweets, Proteins Nest Outdoors in sunny areas
• Neither invades fire ant colonies nor fights or bites • Suppresses or eliminates fire ant foraging (using venom) resulting in their colony’s decline • Place dead fire ants around their nests Other Ant Species ______
Yellow Pyramid Ant Dorymyrmex pyramicus Eats live and dead insects, sweets Nest outdoors
• Nest near other ant nests • Appear to feed on dead worker ants • Colonies similar to Forelius sp. Competitor Ant Species Nests ______
ForeliusForelius (Cheese)(Cheese) AntsAnts Pyramid Ant withwith deaddead antant pilepile Competitor Ant Species ______
Big Headed Ants Pheidole spp. Eat insects, sweets Live mostly outdoors
• Invades small fire ant colonies (<480 workers) • Excellent fighters and biters that recruit big- headed workers to battle; raid brood and returning to nest with remains of fire ant colony Competitor Ant Species ______
Crazy Ants Pyrotechnic longicornis Eat insects, grease, sweets Live indoors and outdoors
• Invade fire ant colonies (<30 workers) • Workers kills slower-moving fire ant workers • Occasionally become pests after fire ants have been eliminated using broadcast applied bait products Effect of Bait on Native Ants ______Factors Affecting Bait Specificity ______• Active ingredient: metabolic inhibitors like Amdro, insect growth regulators like Logic® or Award®, Distance®, Extinguish®, and nerve toxins like Ascend • Formulation: attractants like soybean oil or ground caterpillars, and concentration of active ingredient •Placement:mount treatments versus broadcast application; other treatment patterns • Timing: seasonal and daily variations in unique foraging habits of ant species Effects of Ant Baits ______• Mortality of worker ants (metabolic inhibitors like Amdro®) and other colony components • Egg production reduced or eliminated and shift in larval development to winged reproductives (insect growth regulators like Logic® or Award®, Distance®, Extinguish® Impact of Insecticide Baits ______
•Bait removedin 80 1 hour from 250 70 mg provided to 60 50 S. invicta the red imported 40 S. molesta fire ant (S. 30 M. min. invicta), thief ant 20 (S. molesta) and 10 0 little black ant Untreated Amdro Logic (M. minimum) Untreated = defatted corn grit without toxicant Impact of Insecticide Baits ______
• Worker ant 700 mortality within 2 600 months by the 500 red imported fire 400 S. invicta ant (S. invicta), 300 S. molesta M. min. thief ant (S. 200 molesta) and 100 0 little black ant Untreated Amdro Logic (M. minimum) Untreated = defatted corn grit without toxicant Impact of Insecticide Baits ______
• Egg production 120 within 2 months 100 by the red 80 S. invicta imported fire ant 60 S. molesta (S. invicta), thief 40 M. min.
ant (S. molesta) 20
and little black 0 ant (M. Untreated Amdro Logic minimum) Untreated = defatted corn grit without toxicant Conserving Competitor Ants ______• Take care when using broad spectrum insecticides or broadcast bait products where native or exotic competitor (fire ant predator) ants are desired • Use only individual fire ant mound treatment methods, and avoid treating nests of desirable ants • In areas with 20 or more imported fire ant mounds per acre (5 mounds per ¼ acre yard), broadcast application of fire ant bait product may actually help restore native ant communities by suppressing or eliminating fire ants Habitat Manipulations:
______“Ant Farming”______• Imported fire ants favor disturbed habitats (construction, flooding or some types of insecticide use), whereas stable, diverse habitats favor competitor ant species • Create or leave nesting sites like rocks, landscape timbers, grass clumps • Know the native ants in your area and their habitat preferences (shade versus open nesting species) Fire Ant Management
______Considerations______• Tolerance for ants: In some areas any ant is considered pests; some species are truly pestiferous and should be managed • Cost and labor of applying ant control products: Current fire ant control products require periodic re-application • Control objectives: Although competitor ants may provide biotic resistance, but have historically been suppressed or eliminated by red imported fire ant invasions Thank You ______
• Be part of managing red imported fire ants by practicing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and help educate your friends and neighbors • Support research, education and regulatory programs