Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Baits and sprays differ in the way they are
formulated and applied in addition to a
number of other important differences.
Baits have a much narrower window of
activity because they are specifi cally
formulated for ants, are consumed mostly
by ants and, as a result, kill only ants.
Competition for the bait among different ant
species may prevent some species from
consuming the bait and limit mortality to
the dominant species. Baits and sprays also
differ in their effi cacy relative to the level of
sanitation. Sprays are not negatively
affected by the lack of sanitation such as
competing food sources. In fact, the effi cacy
of sprays may be enhanced by the lack of
sanitation; for example, application in areas
where ants are actively foraging for food
(e.g. around rubbish bins or landscape
plants harbouring honeydew-producing
insects). Baits are strongly affected by
sanitation and the presence of competing
food resources from honeydew-producing
insects or human food may limit bait intake
and effi cacy. Another important difference
is the relative amount of experience neces-
sary to use both products. Sprays are
applied according to standard pesticide
labels and generally require less experience,
less knowledge of pest biology and are more
forgiving when misapplied. Baits are far
less forgiving and require more experienced
technicians who can identify the ant
species, understand the feeding and forag-
ing habits of the different species, and can
pinpoint the exact nesting locations.
killing the foraging workers is usually
ineffective in eliminating a colony. Foraging
workers may be helpful in locating the nest,
simply by observing the foraging trails and
following the workers back to the nest,
which can then be treated directly. Some
species, such as carpenter ants, forage
during the night (Hansen and Klotz, 2005)
and night-time inspections may be neces-
sary to fi nd the foraging trails and nests.
Although most ants feed on sugary diets,
signifi cant differences in food preferences
exist among species.
Solenopsis
and
Pheidole
ants prefer oily or protein-rich
baits. Among
Monomorium
,
Monomorium
fl oricola
is an 'oil-loving ant',
Monomorium
destructor
a 'sugar-loving ant', whereas
Monomorium pharaonis
feeds on both
proteins and oils. Within a species, the
dietary preference may change depending
on the season.
Camponotus pennsylvanicus
has two peaks of protein consumption
during summer and fall coinciding with
brood development (Cannon and Fell,
2002). The ants prefer sugar bait in the
spring and protein bait in the fall. Carefully
selecting one or a combination of two
different baits will help eliminate the
colony.
Understanding ant-nesting behaviour is
also important for gaining effective control.
Odorous house ants and Argentine ants
move their nests frequently and often nest
under rocks or debris on the ground.
Reducing suitable nesting sites around a
structure will help reduce the number of
colonies on the property. Small
S. invicta
colonies do not build obvious mounds and
are best located by placing baits in areas of
suspected activity. Mature carpenter ant
colonies typically occupy multiple nesting
sites (Buczkowski, 2011) with the queen
and the majority of the workers residing in
the focal nest. Pharaoh ant colonies are
typically split among multiple nests that
have multiple queens. Colonies multiply by
budding whereby colony fragments con-
taining one or more queens break away from
the main colony and set up new colonies
nearby. Eliminating pharaoh ant nests
inside a structure can therefore be very
challenging.
Understanding Ant Biology for
Effective Management
Biology and behaviour related to control
Understanding ant biology and behaviour is
necessary for effective ant management.
The various ant taxa show a wide range of
biological adaptations and behaviours. The
most effective and least toxic control
measures take advantage of the nesting and
foraging behaviour of ants.
Only a small fraction of workers are out
foraging at any given time and focusing on
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