Abstract
Due to public health and environmental issues, alternatives of synthetic pesticides have been researched for a long time. We also evaluated the toxicity and repellency of the sweet flag (Acorus calamus) powder and two bioactive compounds (α-asarone and β-asarone) against workers of the red imported fire ant (RIFA), Solenopsis invicta under laboratory conditions. Sweet flag powder applied at 1 mg/cm2 or more provided 100% ant mortality within 18 hours, and repelled almost 97% of ants within one hour. Β-asarone was the faster acting compound against RIFA compared to α-asarone and sweet flag powders. The LT50 values inclined exponentially with the increase in the application rate of the test items. On the other hand, repellency did not increase with the increase in the application rate of the test items, but did with the increase in exposure time. Based upon the results of this study, α-asarone and β-asarone, as well as sweet flag powders could be another alternative tool to control the RIFA.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
