Pest Ants Research Articles

Fipronil-infused sodium polyacrylate gels provide effective management of Argentine ants in conservation areas.

Various types of hydrogel compounds have recently been developed for controlling invasive and pest ants in a range of environmental settings including agricultural, urban and natural areas. The current study evaluated the potential of sodium polyacrylate (ACR) hydrogels to effectively deliver liquid baits to Argentine ants. Relative to standard polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogels, individual ACR hydrogel particles were approximately five-fold heavier; this may affect how ants interact with the bait particles, and further influence bait uptake and efficacy. Additionally, ACR hydrogels had significantly higher water absorption capacity and significantly slower rate of water loss, especially during the first 2 h. The efficacy of ACR hydrogel bait containing 0.005% fipronil and various attractants was evaluated on laboratory colonies. Results demonstrated that ACR hydrogel acceptance is significantly increased by the addition of feeding attractants. In addition, a field trial was performed in a nature reserve invaded by Argentine ants to evaluate the efficacy of ACR hydrogel bait. The field trial demonstrated that ACR hydrogel bait containing 0.005% fipronil with various attractants is highly effective and that ant densities throughout the baited plots declined by >99% within 7 days. The results of this study demonstrate that: (i) fipronil is highly effective for Argentine ant control in natural areas when used in low concentrations (0.005%); (ii) ACR hydrogels are an effective tool for delivering liquid baits to Argentine ants; and (iii) hydrogel baits augmented with various attractants including salt, protein and pheromone are highly attractive to Argentine ants. © 2024 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

New lethal liquid bait for control of pest ants

New lethal liquid bait for control of pest ants

Management of ant pests in urban environments

Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are social insects and important pests in the urban environment. The main groups of pest ants in the urban environment are leafcutter and house ants. Leaf-cutter ants cause crescent-shaped defoliation of plants, where in the urban environment it causes problems in gardens and ornamental plants. Domestic ants cause human health problems, contaminate food and cause problems in equipment and buildings. In this work, we propose an integrated ant management program in urban environments. For that, a bibliographic review was carried out addressing the following topics: life cycle of ants, main groups of pest ants, factors that influence their attack, decision-making systems, management strategies and tactics. It is observed that ants are pests that are difficult to control, and successful control is related to the correct execution of the various components of integrated pest management. Regarding control tactics, chemical control is the main method used to control ants in urban environments because the effectiveness of other methods (ie, biological and behavioral control) is poor.

Paving Behavior in Ants and Its Potential Application in Monitoring Two Urban Pest Ants, Solenopsis invicta and Tapinoma melanocephalum.

Our previous study discovered that two urban pest ants, red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Formicidae: Myrmicinae), and ghost ants, Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius) (Formicidae: Dolichoderinae), can pave viscose surfaces with particles to facilitate food search and transport. We hypothesize that this paving behavior can be applied to monitor S. invicta and T. melanocephalum. In the present study, 3998 adhesive tapes, each with a food source (sausage), were placed in 20 locations around Guangzhou, China (181-224 tapes per location), and their efficiency to detect S. invicta and T. melanocephalum was compared with two traditional ant-monitoring methods, baiting and pitfall trapping. Overall, S. invicta was detected by 45.6% and 46.4% of baits and adhesive tapes, respectively. In each location, the percentage of adhesive tapes detecting S. invicta and T. melanocephalum was similar when compared to baits and pitfall traps. However, significantly more non-target ant species showed up on bait and pitfall traps. Seven non-target ant species-Pheidole parva Mayr (Formicidae: Myrmicinae), Pheidole nodus Smith (Formicidae: Myrmicinae), Pheidole sinica Wu & Wang (Formicidae: Myrmicinae), Pheidole yeensis Forel (Formicidae: Myrmicinae), Carebara affinis (Jerdon) (Formicidae: Myrmicinae), Camponotus nicobarensis Mayr (Formicidae: Formicinae), and Odontoponera transversa (Smith) (Formicidae: Ponerinae)-also showed tape paving behavior, but they can be easily distinguished morphologically from S. invicta and T. melanocephalum. Our study showed that the paving behavior occurs in different subfamilies of ants (i.e., myrmicinae, dolichoderinae, formicinae, and ponerinae). In addition, paving behavior can potentially be used to develop more specific monitoring methods for S. invicta and T. melanocephalum in urban areas in southern China.

An invasive ant increases deformed wing virus loads in honey bees.

The majority of invasive species are best known for their effects as predators. However, many introduced predators may also be substantial reservoirs for pathogens. Honey bee-associated viruses are found in various arthropod species including invasive ants. We examined how the globally invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile), which can reach high densities and infest beehives, is associated with pathogen dynamics in honey bees. Viral loads of deformed wing virus (DWV), which has been linked to millions of beehive deaths around the globe, and black queen cell virus significantly increased in bees when invasive ants were present. Microsporidian and trypanosomatid infections, which are more bee-specific, were not affected by ant invasion. The bee virome in autumn revealed that DWV was the predominant virus with the highest infection levels and that no ant-associated viruses were infecting bees. Viral spillback from ants could increase infections in bees. In addition, ant attacks could pose a significant stressor to bee colonies that may affect virus susceptibility. These viral dynamics are a hidden effect of ant pests, which could have a significant impact on disease emergence in this economically important pollinator. Our study highlights a perhaps overlooked effect of species invasions: changes in pathogen dynamics.

Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) at Biology Laboratory of Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Padang

The ants are one of the insects that dominate all ecosystems, it biomass reaching more than 30% in tropical ecosystems. The ants plays positive or negative roles in ecosystem. The negative role of ants is as a household pests that can have a negative impact on humans. The loss caused by pest ants is causing contamination of food as well as contamination of sterile equipment in hospitals and laboratories. The ant stinging will cause allergies and also become disease vectors due they association with several pathogenic microorganisms. This study was conducted at the Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Padang, Air Tawar, West Sumatra, from October to November 2021. The ants were collected inside and outside of the laboratory by using the baited trap (peanut butter, honey, and sardines) and hand collection methods. A total of 419 individual ants were found belonging to eight species and three subfamilies. The highest number of individual found in Tapinoma melanocephalum.

APLIKASI EKOENZIM PADA TANAMAN BUAH NAGA (Hylocereus undatus) UNTUK MENGENDALIKAN HAMA SEMUT API (Solenopsis invicta)

Dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus) is one type of cactus plant that has favorable prospects to be developed economically and in accordance with tropical climates such as Indonesia. This plant does not escape from the disturbance of pests and plant disease organisms. The fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) is one of pests that cause damage during flowering and fruiting. This study aims to determine the concentration of an effective eco-enzyme solution to control fire ant pests on dragon fruit plants. This study used a completely randomized design consisting of three treatments, namely the concentration of the eco-enzyme solution 0 mL/L water (P0), the eco-enzyme solution concentration 0.5 mL/L water (P1) and the concentration of the eco-enzyme solution 1 mL/L water (P2). The variables observed were mortality and intensity of fire ant attacks on dragon fruit plants every day after application for seven days. The results showed that eco-enzyme solution concentration of 0.5 mL/L water was effective in killing fire ant pests and reducing the intensity of fire ant damage on dragon fruit plants.

Low Concentration of Azadirachtin Has the Same Toxic Effect as Imidacloprid + Lambda-Cyhalothrin in Workers of Two Species of Leaf-Cutter Ants1

Leaf-cutter ants of the genus Atta are pests controlled by broad-spectrum insecticides that adversely affect the environment and human health. Toxicity of 20 concentrations of chemical imidacloprid + λ-cyhalothrin and biological insecticides azadirachtin and spinetoram were evaluated on workers of A. mexicana and A. cephalotes ants. Initial evaluation determined optimal concentrations to kill 10-90%. Mean lethal concentrations of imidacloprid and azadirachtin were determined, and mean lethal times were through 3 × 10-1 µl/liter concentration of each insecticide. Azadirachtin and imidacloprid + λ-cyhalothrin at 3 × 10-1 µl/liter concentration killed 100% of both species. LC50 values of imidacloprid + λ-cyhalothrin and azadirachtin were similar against both species. But, the TL50 of imidacloprid + λ-cyhalothrin was less (28-29 hours) in both species compared to the TL50 by azadirachtin that was 36 to 41 hours. Insecticide based on extracts of neem (azadirachtin) was as toxic as imidacloprid + λ-cyhalothrin against A. mexicana and A. cephalotes worker ants. Azadirachtin is an environmentally friendly alternative to manage the two ant species, and probably other species of Atta and other ant pests.

Regional and caste‐specific variation in insecticide susceptibility in odorous house ants, Tapinoma sessile (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

AbstractAnts consistently rank as the number one household pest, and many species are pests in agricultural and natural habitats. Despite economic and ecological impact of pest ants, effective management still faces many challenges and control failures with liquid spray insecticides are common. The odorous house ant (Tapinoma sessile Say) is an adaptive and widespread pest ant found in North America. This study examined regional variation in T. sessile insecticide susceptibility to three classes of insecticides commonly used in ant control. T. sessile showed significant regional variation in insecticide susceptibility on a relatively small geographic scale. A comparison of colonies collected in urban vs. natural areas showed no significant difference in susceptibility in tests with lambda‐cyhalothrin and fipronil. In tests with dinotefuran, urban colonies were significantly more tolerant relative to natural colonies. These results suggest that habitat type and previous insecticide exposure do not reliably predict susceptibility levels in individual populations. Queens were significantly more tolerant relative to their worker counterparts across all insecticides. Higher insecticide tolerance in queens may explain why T. sessile is such a persistent pest in urban environments. The results provide a foundation for the development of more effective and efficient control methods for T. sessile and warrant further investigation of spatial and potentially temporal variability in insecticide susceptibility in ants.

Assessing colony elimination in multicolonial ants: Estimating field efficacy of insecticidal baits against the invasive dark rover ant (Brachymyrmex patagonicus).

A frequent goal of pest management strategies targeting social insects is total colony elimination. Insecticidal baits are highly effective at controlling social insect pests, although their ability to provide total colony elimination has only been well studied in a few species. Genetically testing colony elimination in many urban pest ants can be challenging due to indistinct colony boundaries observed in unicolonial, invasive species; however, some pest ants, such as the dark rover ant (Brachymyrmex patagonicus), maintain strict colony borders through aggression towards non-nestmates. Each of these distinct colonies can be identified using molecular markers, allowing for the tracking of individual colonies pre- and post-treatment to measure colony density. While counting the number of foraging workers to assess treatment efficacy may suffice in some cases, it offers little insight into the colony-level impacts of a treatment. Using microsatellite markers, distinct rover ant colonies were identified and tracked around residential structures before and after the application of an imidacloprid bait. The number of foraging ants at the treated structures was reduced by an average of 83.0% over a 28-day observation period. Baiting also significantly reduced the total number of colonies present. At the treatment structures, only ~25% of the original colonies remained at the end of the study. Colonies with foraging trails <1.5m from a bait station had a higher chance of being eliminated. Using insecticidal baits against B. patagonicus can be highly effective at colony elimination; however, with such small foraging ranges and high colony densities, proper placement is required to ensure enough bait is properly positioned to treat all colonies affecting a structure. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Laboratory and Field Evaluations of Two Bait Formulations Against the Invasive Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).

The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, was first discovered in Japan in 2017. As this ant remains at the early invasion stage, efforts in establishing a rapid-response framework, such as evaluating available control methods, are urgently needed. Despite the presence of numerous household insecticides against invasive/household pest ants in Japan, the effects of these products on fire ants remain poorly understood. This study assessed the efficacy of two bait products designed to target common household ant pests in Japan on S. invicta through under laboratory and field conditions in Taiwan. The two baits are Arino-su-korori (AK), a granule-formulated bait product with hydramethylnon as an active ingredient (A.I.), and Hyper Arino-su-korori (HAK), a paste-formulated bait with fipronil as A.I., respectively. We showed that both AK and HAK resulted in more than 99% mortalities of fire ant within 8 wk under laboratory conditions and significantly reduce fire ants' foraging activities in the field. AK generally performed slightly better than HAK in terms of the time required to achieve total laboratory colony elimination and also long-term suppression of field fire ants. Such differences most likely are attributable to the active ingredient's mode of action and/or formulation and their interactions with fire ant biology. This study demonstrates the feasibility of the two bait products in effectively controlling laboratory and field fire ants, thus representing a promising candidate pest management tool to cope with ongoing/future fire ant invasions in Japan.

BIK JENDUT ALTERNATIF PRAKTIKUM PADA PEMBELAJARAN KIMIA SMK JURUSAN PERTANIAN

Learning with local potential and wisdom indispensable for learning to become more meaningful, to make it easier for students to understand chemical concepts. Author did was the author did a study at SMKN 1 Batealit Jepara majoring in agriculture which is certainly in the treatment of plants many complaints about crop pests. Seeds and fruit peel, jengkol skin and bark of rambutan fruit, jengkol and gadung have activity as antioxidants, while tannin and saponin compounds as anti-bacterial. Author invites students to experiment Bik Jendut (Seeds and fruit peel, jengkol skin and bark) make use of the content in the skin of the fruit, smoothed, mixed with water and fermented for 3 days after it is diluted and used to spray plants that have pests. As a result pl ant pests are drastically reduced on the second day. Furthermore, this natural insecticide made in the name of "bikjendut" stands for seeds, skin from jengkol, gadung and rambutan. From the practice of "bikjendut" is obtained optimum concentration at a rate of 50% and can increase the classical completeness of students in chemistry lessons.

Examining the Prevalence of Solenopsis Invicta Virus 3 (Solinviviridae: Invictavirus) in Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Alates Collected in North Florida

The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), originally is from South America and currently infests over 128 million ha in the US. Its presence has caused significant social, environmental, and economic impacts. Over the decades, chemical insecticides have controlled these pest ants successfully. However, this method is costly and unsustainable because red imported fire ant re-establishes colonies quickly after chemical application. Thus, it is important to develop additional strategies for managing the red imported fire ant in the US. Solenopsis invicta virus 3 is a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus specific for S. invicta that offers promise as a classical biological control agent or biopesticide for control of S. invicta. Surveys were conducted to determine the prevalence of Solenopsis invicta virus 3 in alates of S. invicta collected from 5 urban areas (Tallahassee, Pensacola, Jacksonville, Gainesville, and Panama City) and 5 adjacent rural areas (Quincy, Jay, Macclenny, Lake City, and Blountstown) of North Florida, USA, using the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction technique. The prevalence of Solenopsis invicta virus 3 varied widely from city to city. No statistically significant differences in alate infection rate was found between urban and rural cities sampled. Areas in which no infections of Solenopsis invicta virus 3 were detected may be good candidates for the introduction of this virus as a biological control agent to help manage this pest locally.

Alternative Methods of Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Control with Emphasis on the Argentine Ant, Linepithema humile.

Simple SummaryAnts can be major pests to homeowners and other property owners. In the U.S., ants often rank as one of the most common and difficult-to-control pests around and in homes, businesses, and other facilities. Typically, ant control practices are conducted by licensed pest management professionals with sprays, baits, and granular products, containing various types of insecticides, applied to the outside perimeter of infested structures. Many of the insecticides used to control pest ants are harmful to non-target organisms, especially those in aquatic environments. To address these negative environmental impacts, research on alternative, generally low-impact and least toxic, ant control strategies has received a fair amount of attention. The underlying goal of this research is a reduction in human exposure to traditional insecticides. Examples of alternative approaches included in this review article include the use of essential oils and other chemicals as deterrents to ant nesting and foraging; ant trail pheromones as disruptants to foraging; mass trapping of ants; new gel baits containing extremely low concentrations of insecticide; and altering the behavior and distribution of ants by altering their access to food.Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), especially the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr), can be significant nuisance pests in urban and suburban environments. Conventional interventions have primarily relied on the use of chemical insecticides, namely fipronil and bifenthrin, applied as residual, contact treatments around the outside perimeter of infested structures. Despite tightening regulation limiting the scope of insecticide applications in urban settings, dependence on these products to manage ants continues, resulting in significant water contamination. The U.S. EPA, in response, has further restricted the use patterns of many insecticides used for ant control in professional and over-the-counter markets. The purpose of this review is to summarize the relevant literature associated with controlling nuisance pest ants, with emphasis on L. humile, without the use of liquid broadcast applications of EPA-registered insecticides while focusing on low-impact, alternative (to broadcast applications) pest control methods. Specific subsections include Trail Pheromone; Use of Behavior-Modifying Chemicals; Mass Trapping; Hydrogels, “Virtual” Baiting, and Exceedingly-Low Bait Concentrations; Food Source Reduction; Deterrents; and RNA Interference (RNAi).

Development and Demonstration of Low-Impact IPM Strategy to Control Argentine Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Urban Residential Settings.

Argentine ants are one of the most common nuisance pest ants treated by pest management professionals (PMPs) in southern and western urban residential areas of the United States. Two new technologies (spraying with a pheromone adjuvant and using a biodegradable hydrogel bait delivery method) were used to develop a unique low-impact integrated pest management (IPM) protocol for Argentine ants in urban residential settings. The IPM protocol included a one-time perimeter spray treatment with 0.03% fipronil (mixed with a pheromone adjuvant) at the beginning of the ant season to achieve a quick knockdown. The initial spray application was followed by a biodegradable hydrogel baiting with 1% boric acid as a maintenance treatment. This low-impact IPM protocol was compared with two other conventional methods: (1) one initial fipronil application and one pyrethroid spray application for maintenance, or (2) one initial fipronil application and one essential oil insecticide spray application for maintenance. Based on Argentine ant foraging activity, the protocols were compared for their control efficacy. Insecticide use information and treatment time were also recorded and compared among different treatment protocols. Our results provided empirical data to support the effectiveness and economic feasibility of the low-impact IPM protocol for managing Argentine ants in urban residential settings.

Prospects for Using RNAi as Control for Ants

RNA interference (RNAi) has inspired insect scientists to aim toward the development of this technology for protection against insect pests. The RNAi mechanism works at the intracellular level by exploiting a mode of action specific to the expression of genes, interrupting the transcription to translation process. Many of the limitations of RNAi technology are being addressed to adapt it for insect pest application. However, most of the insect pest problems for which RNAi is being developed involve direct plant-insect interactions, primarily in monocultures. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are important agricultural pests that generally do not feed directly on crops, yet have dramatic impact on agroecosystems such as pastures, orchards, and nurseries. The application of RNAi to pest ants is complicated by the social nature of ants. Here the goal is to examine the potential application of RNAi to ant pests, especially invasive ants, which present distinct challenges with regard to delivery, targeting, efficacy, and risks.

A Surprisingly Non-attractiveness of Commercial Poison Baits to Newly Established Population of White-Footed Ant, Technomyrmex brunneus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), in a Remote Island of Japan

The white-footed ant, Technomyrmex brunneus, was newly introduced and established in a remote island of Japan and has caused unacceptable damage to the daily life of residents. To establish proper control measures, the present study investigated whether T. brunneus is effectively attracted to commercially available poison baits used to exterminate common household pest ants and the Argentine ant in Japan. Cafeteria experiments using three types of nontoxic baits and eight types of commercial poison baits for ants were conducted in the field, and the attractiveness was compared among the baits. The liquid poison bait “Arimetsu,” which consists of 42.6% water, 55.4% sugar, and 2.0% borate, and nontoxic 10% (w/v) sucrose water showed the highest attractiveness. On the other hand, other commercial poison baits were not as attractive. Therefore, sucrose liquid is the most effective attractive component to use in poison baits for T. brunneus.

Efficacy of Entomopathogenic fungus Aspergillus nomius against Dolichoderus thoracicus

The ant pest Dolichoderus thoracicus (Smith) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) has experienced population increases in Taiwan recently and has been shown to invade human settlements frequently. In addition, D. thoracicus has been found to be naturally infected by the fungus Aspergillus nomius Kurtzman et al. (Eurotiales: Trichocomaceae). Entomopathogenic fungi find it difficult to colonize social insects because of the challenge of penetrating the insect cuticle and because of social behaviors, including grooming, that eliminate invaders from the nest. However, A. nomius can evade these defenses and spread within the ant colony. In the present study, ant mortality increased in a dose-dependent manner upon cuticular infection with A. nomius conidia. Among four Aspergillus spp. examined, A. nomius was more virulent to worker ants and was the only fungus to produce conidia on the ant host. Allogrooming potentially promotes conidial invasion and spreading among hosts in a colony because ants treated with conidia on the cuticle increased the mortality of other members in the nest. Assessment of chitinase, esterase, and lipase activity suggested that A. nomius efficiently exploited the host for nutrients. Because A. nomius can cause human infections and environmental consequences, further studies are required to assess the potential impacts of utilizing A. nomius to control outbreaks of D. thoracicus.

A comparison of insecticide susceptibility levels in 12 species of urban pest ants with special focus on the odorous house ant, Tapinoma sessile.

Many ant species are pests in urban, agricultural, and natural habitats around the world. The primary means of reducing or eliminating ant infestations utilizes chemical control, mainly applications of residual insecticides. Control failures with residual insecticides are common, driven in part by a lack of understanding of basic biological and life history characteristics, including interspecific variation in susceptibility to insecticides. The current study evaluated the susceptibility of 12 species of urban pest ants to three classes of insecticides. Results show significant variation in susceptibility across species. Contrary to the hypothesis of proportionality, no significant relationship was detected between body mass and median lethal time (LT50 ) or time to 100% mortality. The odorous house ant (Tapinoma sessile) was consistently the least susceptible to all insecticides, as indicated by the highest LT50 values and the greatest amount of time required to reach 100% mortality. Comparatively low susceptibility to commonly used spray insecticides may explain why T. sessile is such a persistent pest. Broadcast applications of spray insecticides may kill off the most susceptible species, leaving behind T. sessile. Lack of competition from other ant species, combined with increased access to nesting and feeding resources may allow T. sessile to fill a vacant ecological niche and expand its range. Considering T. sessile's relatively low susceptibility to insecticides, its ability to become established in areas colonized by other invasive ants, and its highly invasive behaviors, it should be watched for by biosecurity programs as it has high potential to become a globally invasive pest. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Identification Pests and Diseases of the Borneo Black Sweet in Tropical Rainforest

The Borneo black sweet Coelogyne Pandurata is one of the mascots of flora in East Kalimantan Tropical Rainforest. This orchid species only grows on the Borneo. The uniqueness of The Borneo black orchid Coelogyne Pandurata, has a black tongue (labellum) with a few green and hairy stripes. This research is to develop an expert system for identifying pests and diseases of black orchids, as a support for the conservation of biodiversity in the East Kalimantan tropical rainforests. The expert system is equipped with a knowledge base in diagnosing pests, symptoms, and diseases of black orchid using Bayes theorem. In this research 4 pests disturbed black orchids, namely bare snail pests, caterpillars pests, grasshoppers pests, and ant pests. The diseases that attacked black orchids were obtained, namely brown spot disease, fusarium wilt disease, soft rot disease, and root rot disease. The result of the calculation of the Bayes Theorem based on 5 symptoms chosen by the user that black orchid has a 40% chance of experiencing root rot disease.