Imported Fire Ant Toxic Bait Studies: Evaluation of Carriers for Oil Baits

Abstract

Wheat bran, puffed barley grits, corncob grits, corncob pith, okra and kenaf hurds, sawdust, vermiculite and various clay granules were evaluated as carriers for oil baits for the imported fire ant, Solenopsis saevissima richteri Forel. While satisfactory baits were made with several of the carriers, the corncob grits baits were the most practical and the easiest to formulate and distribute with conventional equipment. The most effective formulation tested consisted of corncob grits 85%, soybean oil 14.925%, and mirex, formerly called GC-1283, (dodecachlorooc-tahydro-1,3,4-metheno-2H-cyclobuta [cd]pentalene), or Kepone® (decachlorooctahydro-1,3,4-metheno-2H-cyclobuta [cd]pentalen-2-one) 0.75%. Field tests with this bait consistently gave more than 95% control at rates of 5 to 20 pounds per acre (1.7 to 6.8 gm. of insecticide per acre). Other tests showed that this bait did not lose its effectiveness when aged up to 48 days and that peanut oil, tallow, tallow oil, yellow grease, and grease oil compared favorably with soybean oil as the food attractant.