Most Wanted Ants” ⦁ Flexible-Use Sites
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THE INDUSTRY’S LEADING TECHNICAL JOURNAL SINCE 1933 MOST WA N T E D ANTS Tetramorium immigrans spp. Camponotus ALIAS ALIAS Pavement ant Carpenter ant Tapinoma sessile ALIAS Odorous house ant Linepithema humile ALIAS Argentine ant Solenopsis invicta ALIAS Red imported fire ant BROUGHT TO YOU BY INSIDE: MW2 Word from our sponsor • MW3 Carpenter ants • MW4 Pavement ants MW5 Odorous house ants • MW6 Argentine ants • MW7 Red imported fire ants ADVERTORIAL WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR MGK helps PMPs in their ant control strategies By Dr. Ryan Neff ith more than product that’s approved for outdoor ⦁ No signal 700 species of broadcast, you can be sure to word. Products ants in the United catch even hard-to-find nests. without a signal States, and a few ⦁ Long-lasting. Look at the product’s word have fewer Wdozen considered pests, it’s no residual. A longer timeframe means restrictions. surprise they are one of the highest the product remains hard at work Also, choose revenue-generating pests for pest even after you leave the customer’s products that management professionals (PMPs). property, so you get more time require minimal Ants can damage crops and between treatment intervals. personal building structures, and bite and ⦁ Effective. Certain ant species — protective DR. NEFF is the sting people. For some species, as you’ll see on the following pages equipment western technical field colony size can easily number in — are notoriously difficult to control. (PPE) — just a specialist for MGK. the thousands, and those kinds For example, Argentine ants and long-sleeved of numbers will have homeowners odorous house ants each can have shirt, long pants, socks and shoes. calling for immediate help. hundreds or thousands of queens Few ant infestations are alike, across numerous satellite nests; the A TRADITION but here are some guidelines to colony size alone makes effective OF INNOVATION ensure an effective treatment: treatment nearly impossible. In such MGK has been helping PMPs control ⦁ Identify the ant. Proper circumstances, you need a product pests for nearly a century, and identification of the species is key, that’s labeled for multi-queen species. continues to bring industry innovations and will inform your treatment plan. ⦁ Versatile. Check the product label. to the forefront, especially in the area ⦁ Set your strategy. The product Is it only approved for ants? If so, of ant control. This season, we’re and application method you choose choose a solution that controls a excited to introduce the revolutionary should be specific to the ant variety of pests. That way, you’ll Sumari Insecticide. This non-repellent, species you identified. be able to knock out all of your all-in-one solution boosts productivity ⦁ Don’t give up. Ants can be picky. customers’ problem pests with and gives PMPs more control to get it You might need to try multiple the same solution. right the first time: methods before achieving control. ⦁ Indoor/outdoor use and outdoor ⦁ Know your product. It’s important to broadcast understand how product formulations ⦁ 90-day residual differ, and which are most effective for ⦁ Kills multi-queen species the infestation you are managing. ⦁ Proven NyGuard IGR (insect Here are some important growth regulator) features that MGK’s ant control ⦁ No signal word products include: Visit MGK.com/Sumari for more ⦁ Nonrepellent. You can enhance ant control resources and additional the performance of your product information. nonrepellent by baiting the treated We are proud to partner with area. This ensures more ants will Pest Management Professional to encounter the treatment. sponsor this “Most Wanted Ants” ⦁ Flexible-use sites. Many of supplement. We hope you will find our products are labeled for use the following pages to be both both indoors or outdoors, saving informative and useful for your you material costs as well as business, making you even more space on your vehicle. With a successful in the coming year. MW2 October 2020 • Pest Management Professional mypmp.net BROUGHT TO YOU BY Carpenter ants Camponotus spp. DESCRIPTION occupying existing ⦁ The nest galleries some carpenter cavities/gaps in ant species cut into wood generally are exterior walls, smooth and clean, which is how they roofing, and interior earned the “carpenter” moniker. features. ⦁ Workers of invasive carpenter species ⦁ They often vary in size, among the smallest being excavate tunnels Two black carpenter ants (Camponotus those of C. nearcticus, which are 3/16 to and galleries in pennsylvanicus) engage in trophallaxis. 1/4 of an inch long. structural wood ⦁ Carpenter ants seen indoors are mostly that already is in a black; however, some species, such as state of decay due to retained moisture. C. vicinus, C. chromaiodes, and ⦁ They do not use wood for food. C. floridanus have reddish body ⦁ They establish nests in many different sections and/or leg segments. outdoor situations, such as tree trunks RANGE ⦁ Polymorphic workers for the larger and branches, stumps, logs, landscaping ➔ Various species vary in size, from 1/4- to 3/4-inch timbers, fenceposts and sometimes in species are long. covered soil. widespread ⦁ Indoor nests may be found in throughout the LIFE CYCLE windowsills, hollow doors, roofs, porch United States. ⦁ The queen is present in the primary substructures, baseboards, fireplaces, nest, which is located away from the shingles or other naturally hollow areas. PREVENTION home or infested structure. A hollow pipe may even serve as a nest. ➔ Eliminate ⦁ No egg-laying queen is present in the ⦁ Nesting activities may weaken building moisture and secondary, or satellite nests, which are structures, but not as seriously as termites. water sources; located within the structure. ⦁ In wooded areas, many colonies may be remove food ⦁ More than one satellite nest may be present around an infested home. sources by associated with different primary nests, ⦁ Carpenter ants often move into a keeping food and therefore, separate colonies. building solely to scavenge and feed. sealed; prune ⦁ Each colony typically has only one egg- ⦁ They may be carried into homes in shrubs and laying queen. firewood, or enter and establish colonies trees so they ⦁ For most colonies, alates, or winged via other routes. do not touch reproductives, form in three to six years, ⦁ Foragers can enter homes via tree limbs the structure; at which time about 2,500 or more or wires that touch the house; thus the seal entry individuals will be present. nest may or may not be inside the home. points into ⦁ Populations within colonies vary; some structures; include more than 100,000 individuals. FOOD store firewood ⦁ Alates may be produced any time of the ⦁ Foraging ants will travel 100 yards or and lumber year, but usually develop in late summer. more from the nest for food. away from ⦁ During warm months, they will forage the home. BEHAVIOR most actively in early nighttime hours. ⦁ Although some carpenter ant ⦁ Carpenter ants feed on a variety of species (Camponotus modoc and C. animal and plant foods, and will feed on pennsylvanicus) excavate cavities in other living or dead insects. SOURCE structural wood and foamboard (EPS) ⦁ They will feed on nearly anything TRUMAN’S SCIENTIFIC GUIDE TO PEST MANAGEMENT insulation, most structure-invading people eat, including sweets. Aphid OPERATIONS PHOTO: COURTESY OF, AND COPYRIGHTED BY, GENE WHITE, [email protected] WHITE, GENE AND COPYRIGHTED BY, OF, COURTESY PHOTO: [email protected]; WHITE, GENE AND COPYRIGHTED BY, OF, COURTESY PHOTOS: THE COVER, ON / GETTY IMAGES PLUS/GETTY DONATAS1205/ISTOCK OF NPMA; DEM10, COURTESY species are opportunistic nesters, honeydew is especially appealing. mypmp.net Pest Management Professional • October 2020 MW3 M O S T WA N T E D ANTS Pavement ant Tetramorium immigrans (previously T. caespitum) numerous non-reproductive RANGE female workers. ➔ Pavement ⦁ Winged reproductive females ants are and males are produced in common early summer. throughout most ⦁ Most colonies are monogynous of the United — they are started by a single States, in the reproductive queen that carries Midwest and out all reproduction for the in the Pacific lifetime of that colony — but Northwest, they occasionally may have two, but they are or possibly more, queens. an occasional pest in southern BEHAVIOR states. ⦁ They prefer to nest in areas ➔ Its native with minimal vegetation, such range in Europe A pavement ant worker takes food as an urban habitat. is wide; at the back to share with its colony. ⦁ Nests usually are located beginning of the outdoors under stones, garden 19th century, it pavers, and pavement (asphalt was introduced DESCRIPTION and concrete). Nests also can be located into the United ⦁ This species is a small, 1/8- to under porches and foundation slabs. They States. 1/6-inch long, dark brown ant with occasionally are found in exterior walls, paler legs and antennae. under flooring, and in insulation. PREVENTION ⦁ On the head and thorax are visible ⦁ In homes with slab-on-grade ➔ Seal entry parallel lines, or ridges, that are the construction, foragers enter through points into same color as the cuticle; they give the cracks in the slab, expansion joints and structures, and cuticle a grooved texture. utility penetrations. remove food ⦁ A pair of small spines are at the back ⦁ Large-scale fights between non- sources by of the thorax. related pavement ant colonies are keeping food ⦁ The body has a sparse array of small common in the spring and beginning of sealed. hairs all over it. summer, when the ants are developing ⦁ The pavement ant’s stinger is used their territories. more for applying trailing pheromone ⦁ They move slowly and enter buildings and less for defensive purposes. in search of food. ⦁ Queens are larger, at 1/4- to 1/3-inch, and are dark brown. They also have a FOOD sculpted head and thorax. ⦁ Pavement ants prefer greasy and sweet materials, which means they will LIFE CYCLE respond at different times to either SOURCES ⦁ Pavement ants form large colonies sugar- or protein-based baits.