Imported Fire Ants, Competitor Ants and Impact of Ant Bait Products

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1 Imported Fire Ants, Competitor Ants and Impact of Ant Bait Products Bart M. Drees, Nathan Riggs, Brad Vinson, Asha Roa and Pallavi Mokkarala SS#1411 & CD#14

2 Management Considerations Red Imported Fire Ant Competitor Ants Ant Baits

3 Pest Ant Identification

4 Photos by TAMU Chaldidoid Lab

5 Red Imported Fire Ant Solenopsis invicta Eat seeds, insects, proteins Lives indoors and outdoors

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7 Brood and Adult Ants Multiple queen colony in laboratory

8 Caste Development and Life Stages Worker brood & workers Queen & eggs Sexual brood and winged reproductives

9 Other Fire Ants Southern Fire Ant Solenopsis geminata Eats seeds, insects, sweets Nests outdoors Top photo by L. Gilbert showing S. geminata on left and S. invicta on right

10 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

11 Other Ant Species Carpenter Ants Camponotus spp. Eats dead insects, other proteins Nest in wood (indoors & out)

12 Other Ant Species Texas Leaf Cutter Ants Atta texana Eat fungus grown on leaves Nest Outdoors

13 Other Ant Species Acrobat Ants Crematogaster spp. Eat insects, sweets Live indoors & out

14 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

15 Red Harvester Ants Pogonomyrmex barbatus Eat seeds, grasses, dead insects Nest outdoors

16 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

17 Competitor Ant Species Predators of newly mated queen ants Directly eliminate small ant colonies Compete for food and nesting resources

18 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

19 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

20 Predatory and Competitor Ants Little black ants attacking fire ant queen Photographs by Asha Rao, TAMU

21 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

22 Predatory and Competitor Ants Pavement ants attacking fire ant queen Photographs by Asha Rao, TAMU

23 Competitor Ant Species Forelius (Cheese) Ants 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

24 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.

25 Competitor Ant Species Nests Forelius (Cheese) Ants with dead ant pile Pyramid Ant

26 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 bigheaded workers to battle; raid brood and returning to nest with remains of fire ant colony

27 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

28 Effect of Bait on Native Ants

29 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

30 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

31 Impact of Insecticide Baits Bait removedin 1 hour from 250 mg provided to the red imported fire ant (S. invicta), thief ant (S. molesta) and little black ant (M. minimum) S. invicta 40 S. molesta 30 M. min Untreated Amdro Logic Untreated = defatted corn grit without toxicant

32 Impact of Insecticide Baits Worker ant mortality within 2 months by the red imported fire ant (S. invicta), thief ant (S. molesta) and little black ant (M. minimum) S. invicta S. molesta M. min Untreated Amdro Logic Untreated = defatted corn grit without toxicant

33 Impact of Insecticide Baits Egg production within 2 months by the red imported fire ant (S. invicta), thief ant (S. molesta) and little black ant (M. minimum) S. invicta S. molesta M. min Untreated Amdro Logic Untreated = defatted corn grit without toxicant

34 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

35 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 habitat preferences (shade versus open nesting species)

36 Fire Ant Management Considerations Tolerance for ants: In some areas any ant is considered pests; some species are truly pestiferous and should be managed Cost and labor of applying ant control products: Current fire ant control products require periodic re-application Control objectives: Although competitor ants may provide biotic resistance, but have historically been suppressed or eliminated by red imported fire ant invasions

37 Thank You Be part of managing red imported fire ants by practicing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and help educate your friends and neighbors Support research, education and regulatory programs