Agriculture Reference
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Damage to structures and timber
areas. Tropical regions tend to have a higher
frequency of house-infesting ants than
temperate regions (Fowler
et al
., 1993a;
Campos-Farinha, 2005). Delabie
et al.
(1995)
surveyed 100 houses in Bahia, Brazil using
honey-baited test tubes and discovered that
all houses sampled had at least one species
of ant, with
Pheidole megacephala
being
the most common ant. A total of 31 species
belonging to the families Ponerinae,
Myrmicinae, Dolichoderinae, and For-
micinae were identifi ed. In Malaysia, a
homeowner survey conducted during
1983-1998 revealed that ants were the most
important group of household pests after
mosquitoes and cockroaches (Lee, 2002). In
a study by Yap and Lee (1994), 25 ant
species were identifi ed infesting houses in
residential premises in Penang, Malaysia
with
Pheidole
and
Tapinoma
as the
dominant groups. The majority of the ants
were found to have outdoor nests but
foraged indoors for food. A recent survey of
pest management professionals showed the
Argentine ant,
Linepithema humile
, as the
most common species (85%) in San Diego;
Solenopsis xyloni
(34%) and
Forelius
pruinosus
(18%) in Phoenix; and
Pogono-
myrmex
spp. (26%) and
Acromyrmex
versicolor
(18%) in Tucson (Field
et al
.,
2007). The yellow crazy ant,
Anoplolepis
gracilipes
, is among the most widely
distributed and damaging invasive ant
species in the world (Holway
et al.,
2002).
The Caribbean crazy ant,
Nylanderia
pubens
, has inundated landscapes in parts
of Florida and Texas in the past decade
(Zhao
et al.,
2012).
Carpenter ants (
Camponotus
spp.) nesting
in wooden structures or other wood
products are the principal insect pests of
structures. Worldwide, there are over 900
species of
Camponotus
. The great majority
are not pests and are highly benefi cial,
helping recycle decaying wood, serving as
food for other animals, preying on forest
pests and supporting forest ecosystems in a
variety of intricate ways. In the USA there
are approximately six major pest species of
carpenter ants and in the Pacifi c North-
west and the north-eastern USA these ants
are as destructive as subterranean termites
(Hansen and Klotz, 2005). Two species
clearly stand out as the most abundant
and the most economically important.
The black carpenter ant,
Camponotus
pennsylvanicus
, is the principal structural
pest in the North Atlantic states and the
Midwest. The western black carpenter ant,
Camponotus modoc
, is the most common
pest species in the western USA and south-
west Canada.
Carpenter ants nest in wooden structures
and prefer moist wood affected by fungal
decay. They will, however, also nest within
sound wood and other non-wood construc-
tion materials, including foam, fi breglass
insulation, drywall and particleboard.
Besides structures, carpenter ants are
important pests of standing and cut timber.
Sanders (1964) reported a 6% infestation
rate for white cedar, 4% for balsam fi r, and
2% for red and white spruce in New
Brunswick, Canada. Shields
et al
. (2000)
documented 70% of the utility poles
belonging to the northeastern utility com-
pany were infested with carpenter ants. Of
urban shade trees sampled in 1981-1982 in
New Jersey 75% were infested with
carpenter ants (Fowler and Parrish, 1982).
Ant stings
A small number of ants will sting when
disturbed, handled, or stuck between skin
and clothing. Among them, the red imported
fi re ant,
Solenopsis invicta
, is the most
notorious stinging ant. Fire ants readily
defend the nest and have a large number of
workers per colony. Fire ants are especially
dangerous to children and pets in yards,
parks and other recreational areas. In a
survey by deShazo
et al.
(1990), up to 50%
Nuisance
Ants are considered nuisance pests when
they enter structures in search of shelter,
water or food, and ants consistently rank
highest among nuisance pests in urban
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