Mattingly "AI & Prompt Design: The Basics of Prompt Design"
Fire Ants and Crazy Ants IPM Guide
1. Fire Ants and Crazy Ants!
Dr. Paul R. Nester
Program Specialist - IPM
Texas AgriLife Extension Service
Texas A&M System
Houston/Metro Area
2. “Tramp” ant
Tramp species have the following common features that
enable them to be highly successful invaders:
• Able to hitchhike with human travel and establish colonies in new
regions all over the globe
• Are omnivores--they will eat almost anything
• Not aggressive to same species from different nests.
• Aggressive to other ant species
• Colonies with many queens, and many nests
• Will nest under or in anything
• Disperse by budding (queens and a group of workers separate from
the colony and walk to a new site).
10. Rasberry Crazy Ant
Nylanderia sp. nr. pubens
Look for
Standing
macrosetae 1)One node
2)Macrosetae
3)Acidopore
One node
4)Scape
5)Femur
6)Reddish
Long to brown
scape 7)~2-3 mm
Long
Femur Acidopore:
circle of hairs
at tip of
0.5 mm abdomen
J. Johnson - TAMU
13. Black Crazy Ant
Paratrechina longicornis
Differences from RCA
Long scape
1)Long scape
Long thorax, flattened 2)Long thorax
3)Long femur
4)Black, dark brown
5)Eyes bigger
6)~2-3 mm
Big
eyes
Long scape
antweb.org
14. Argentine Ant
Linepithema humile Differences from RCA
1)Reduced # setae
Abdomen “narrow” like 2)Deep “depression”
between 1-2 pair of
legs
3)Abdomen “arrow”
shape
4)Dark brown
5)Thinner (body, legs)
6)~3 mm
Pronotum
7)Head “triangular”
“depression”
antweb.org antweb.org
15. Pyramid Ant
Dorymyrmex flavus
Differences from RCA
Spine-like
1)Spine-like in propodeum
2)Reduced # setae
3)“Mustache” on clypeus
4)Long palps
5)Orange
6)~2 mm
7)Head “squared”
Palps
“Mustache”
16. 0.5 mm
P. longicornis
N. sp. nr. pubens
L. humile D. flavus
17. T. sessile
N. sp. nr. pubens P. longicornis
L. humile D. flavus
30. Integrated Pest Management
• IPM - a strategy that
– focuses on long-term suppression of
pests
– uses a combination of control tactics
– minimizes pesticides’ negative impact
on people and the environment
– strives to be economical
31. Definition of IPM
• Integrated Pest Management:
Management of pest populations using
systems of complimenting control
strategies that maintain pest populations
at levels that can be tolerated by humans
in terms of their economy, health, and/or
quality of life
32. Integrated Pest management
– Focuses on long-term
suppression of pests
– Proactive rather than reactive
– Uses a combination of control
tactics
– Minimizes pesticides’ negative
impact on people and the
environment
– Strives to be economical
33. Early Use of IPM
• 1888: First highly
successful classical
biological control
program:
importation of
vedalia beetle to
control cottony-
cushion scale in
citrus
Photo by UC Davis.
34. Knowledge is the key
• Knowing the pests’
biology and habits
help in the selection
of control practices
35. Proper Identification
• Different pests have
different control
strategies
• Important to properly
identify by :
– Collect sample of
damaged item or
droppings
– Take a digital image of
the pest, damage or
droppings
36. Control Tactics
• Determine control strategies to be
used- Some examples:
• Cultural/Sanitation: eliminating water sources
and pest habitats, bed preparation, crop
rotation
• Mechanical/Physical: trapping, removal of
infested branches, hand picking
• Biological: introduce natural enemies
• Chemical: use of pesticides
37. The IPM pyramid
Pesticides
Physical /
Mechanical Biological
controls controls
Cultural / Sanitation Practices
38. Control Approaches
• Individual Mound Treatments
(Granules, Drenches, Dusts, Baits, Organics)
• Use contact insecticides
(synthetic pyrethroids, acephate, carbaryl, spinosad)
• 2-Step Method
(Annually/semi-annually treat yard with bait, then treat
nuisance mounds with spot treatment)
• Use long residual insecticides
(fipronil, i.e., Over ‘n Out, Top Choice)
41. Two-Step Method
- Least toxic, cost-effective method
- Most suitable for larger, fully-infested areas
- Reduces surface runoff water contamination
Step 1: Relies on Step 2: Uses mound
periodic broadcast treatments to treat
application of fire ant “nuisance” ant mounds,
bait product(s) only
43. Determining Fire Ant Mound Densities
Choose areas to be surveyed
r
Usually 4 areas will do
59 ft
Count active mounds within the 4,
Area = πr2
¼ acre circles
Total will be the # mounds/acre
¼ acre circle
Usually greater than 20 mounds per acre
or 4-5 mounds/residential lawn needs
treatment. Broadcast fire ant bait
recommended for > 20 fire ant mounds
This may vary depending upon specific
needs of landowner
44. Available Baits
Active ingredient Product name
hydramethylnon Amdro Pro, Probait, Amdro, MaxForce
methoprene Extinguish
pyriproxyfen Esteem, Distance
hydramethylnon Extinguish Plus, Amdro Firestrike
+ methoprene
fenoxycarb Award
indoxacarb Advion, Spectracide (Once & Done)
spinosad Ortho, Green Light, Safer, Ferti-lome
abamectin Clinch, Varsity, Ascend
fipronil MaxForce FC
46. Tips for Applying Fire Ant Bait
Insecticides
• BAIT MUST BE FRESH!
(Pleasant corn-like
odor, NOT sour)
• Temperature must be
between 70ºF and 95ºF.
• Grass must be dry (Soil
can be moist)
• No rain expected for 8
hours after application
of bait
• Do Not mix bait with
fertilizer
• Do Not use push-type
spreaders
48. Home Remedies
Product Effect, If Any
Gasoline/Diesel NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!
Home Cleaning Agents NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!
Grits, Sugar, Baking Moves the Mound/Not
Soda, Flour, etc... deadly to ants
Orange Peels Same as above
Citrus Oil 60% Kill Rate in tests
Mistletoe Berries Joy, Peace, Goodwill
Toward ants ?????
Other’s
50. Colony
• Multiple queen (polygyne)
• Many nests (polydomas)
• Nests under any object
• Foraging trails plentiful in summer during cooler
part of day
• Foraging indoors
• Displaces other ant species(?)
54. Aaaaaaaa
So, where are they now?
• Rasberry crazy ants have been found in localized spot
infestations in southeast Houston (Harris County),
including Houston, Pasadena, Deer Park,
Friendswood, San Jacinto Port, Pearland, Seabrook,
La Porte, East Columbia and Montgomery.
• As of September 2009, localized infestations have
also been confirmed in areas of Bexar, Brazoria,
Fort Bend, Chambers, Galveston, Hardin,
Harris, Jefferson, Jim Hogg, Liberty,
Montgomery, Orange, Walker and Wharton
counties. New infestations are suspected beyond
these areas.
57. Aaaaaaaa
Movement?
• RCA has the potential to spread well
beyond its current range in coastal Texas,
to possibly include the southern half of
Texas and the southeastern U. S.
• RCA is a semi-tropical ant and high
populations may be limited by cooler
weather conditions.
58. Aaaaaaaa
Movement?
• These ants can be transported through
movement of almost any infested
container or material.
• The movement of garbage, yard debris,
bags or loads of compost, potted plants or
bales of hay by car, truck, railroad or
airplane can transport ant colonies and
result in new areas of infestation.
59. Aaaaaaaa
Concerns
• Foraging ants cover the ground and readily
enter structures. Are a nuisance and may affect
home values in infested neighborhoods.
• RCA have an affinity for electrical units and will
disable almost any electrical system by
interfering with switches and circuits including
traffic signal boxes, computers and air
conditioners, leading to high repair costs and
disruption of electrical services.
60. Aaaaaaaa
Concerns
• Due to the small size of these ants, and
their abilities to forage within structures,
they may have potential importance in
medical facilities as carriers of pathogens
between patients the same way the
Pharaoh ant (Monomorium pharaonis)
does.
65. Aaaaaaaa
What can you do?
• The best practice to prevent a Rasberry crazy ant
infestation is by being “ant-aware.”
• Report suspicious ant problems, and have the
ants identified by a specialist.
• Avoid bringing ant-infested articles onto your
property. Carefully inspect new plant materials,
mulch or soil brought onto you property.
66. Aaaaaaaa
What can you do?
• If Rasberry crazy ants are detected, practice good
sanitization techniques by removing potential
nesting sites, such as piles of debris (mulch, wood
etc.) from around buildings, or stacks of debris
from the property.
• Reduce aphid and honey dew forming insects on
vegetation next to the structure, as the ants are
attracted to this sugar source.
67. Aaaaaaaa
What can be done?
• Use Termidor insecticide as a barrier treatment on and
near houses. This product is effective for several weeks if
applied. Phantom insecticide may be used indoors.
• Advance Carpenter Ant bait manufactured by Whitmire is
the bait preferred by RCA. It can be applied out of doors
around the house. Should be applied early in season
(more data needed). The number of applications and
exact rate is still being researched?
77. Aaaaaaaa
This information was developed on behalf of the Crazy
Ant Task Force members from these agencies and
organizations:
• Texas A&M University Department of Entomology,
Texas AgriLife Extension Service, and Research
• United States Department of Agriculture – Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and
Quarantine, and Agricultural Research Service
• Texas Department of Agriculture
• Texas Department of Transportation
• Texas Parks and Wildlife
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife
• Texas Nursery and Landscape Association
• Budget Pest Control
