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 __________________________________________________________________ Red Imported Fire Ant 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