Advanced Ant Control.pptx

 Ants can be a large nuisance in houses, warehouses,
restaurants, and just about any where else.
 Control becomes difficult when not done exactly as
prescribed, and things aren’t done exactly as they should be.
 Repellent pesticides can ruin a treatment strategy but quite
opposite, the use of non-repellent products can be mean the
difference between success and failure.

 Tempo and other highly repellent products can divide ant
colonies, force ants into unwanted areas and trap ants in
undesirable areas of the home.
 When the long residual of a pyrethroid is desired it may be best
to apply a bifenthrin spray since befenthrin at a low label rate is
repellent only to termites, and not to ants (according to the
manufacturer with regards to Talstar sprays)
 The best solution for ants however is a complex process that
involves the use of more than just a simple "spray" to eliminate
them.

 For new account startup services and special one-time
treatments, the use of a Fipronil based spray like Termidor
along the foundation is recommended, but several other
products work well for that purpose.
 For areas away from the foundation treatments may be done
with a neonicotinoid based product.
› Neonicotinoid products include the active ingredients Imidicloprid,
Acetimiprid, and Thiamethoxam.

 A more advanced option is the use of a liquid formulation
with a dual mode of action. Generally the ideal product would
have a pyrethroid, and a neonicotinoid active ingredient in
the formulation.
› Products like Bithor SC, Transport Mikron, Transport GHP, and
Temprid SC have this type of dual action as recommended. At the
lowest label rate these products should not have a high enough
repellency to effect control.

 Outside dusts such as DeltaDust should be used in moderation, and not
broadcasted so as to create an issue with their repellency.
 In cases where their use may pose a threat to control they should not be used.
 There are many types of granular ant baits used in lawns and gardens, but two
primary types seem to work the best.
 The first of which, boron based baits, are made by adding boric acid to ground
corn, almonds, or other carrier agents
› These include Mother Earth Granules, Niban granules, and several other
brands. Since they are stomach poisons they must be eaten to cause
insect death, and their mode of action makes it unlikely that ingestion of
the small amounts used would cause any harm to the environment or
non-target pests.

 The second type of granule includes abamectin based
poisons that block the neurotransmitter gama aminobutyric
acid.
› Feeding and egg laying stops in insects, and death occurs after
several days. These baits include Advance 375a and Ascend
granules. When used in sub lethal doses abamectin has been
shown to limit reproductive rates of ant queens.

 Interior treatments are done in several different ways, with techniques
and styles that are easily combined.
 The first approach is liquid pesticide application.
 Liquid pesticides are best applied inside as a crack and crevice
treatment.
› Broadcast treatments are very unreliable, ill advised, and can be unsafe as well
as ineffective. On the contrary however crack and crevice treatments have a
higher level of safety because of the low amount of pesticide use, and can be
more effective thanks to the precise nature of this type of application.
 The targeted application of dusts and gel baits in addition to crack and
crevice treatments ensures a higher level of control.

 In some cases the use of dusts and baits alone can be
effective. Liquid treatments should be used only when
necessary.
 Baits can be used in areas along trails, but a good rule is to
use them close to the ground or an ant entry point.
 This will slow the ants climb up the walls, or into other areas
making them less of an eyesore. On the contrary however,
ant bait place along ceilings will force ants to trail up walls
and other items to reach the bait.

 The center section of an ant’s body that separates the
abdomen from the thorax is referred to as the pedicel.
 The pedicel has either one or nodes that protrude from the
top of it.
 Ants can be separated into two primary types with other
classifications grouping them into more complex sub groups.
 Most structure infesting ants will have one node with the
exception of a few two node ant species.

 Argentine ants are the most common species found in
Southern California and other areas of moderate weather in
the western part of the United States.
 They have large colonies that intermingle with other colonies
on the property allowing for the sharing resources.

 Control of these ants can be difficult because the large super
connected colonies will infest the inside of the house
connected to several different queens outside with most of
the colony still out in the yard.
 Argentine ant control should be well thought out before the
treatment begins and the property prepared with the
customer's cooperation.

 Lawn watering should be adjusted to alter the property in
manner that lowers ant intrusion into the structure.
› When a lawn is too wet ants can be pushed inside.
› When a lawn is too dry ants will come inside land looking for water.
 As the seasons change lawn watering should be adjusted to
match.
 Likewise the treatments should change throughout the year
to match the changes in the ant colonies behavior and
relative size.

 When starting an ant service in the summer lowering the ant
population is the priority, but a treatment in the spring also
involves limiting reproduction rates.
› As argentine ants are killed by pesticides issues associated with their
control arise from their ability to quickly replace lost workers.
› Therefore control in the months where their reproduction is high can be
greatly increased by the use of abamectin based baits outside.
› The opposite is true in the winter however, ants do little foraging therefore
they wouldn't take very much if any back to the nest, and if they did it
would have little effect since their rates of reproduction are much lower.

 As the seasons change argentine ants can be found in most
areas outside, but the bulk of the population tends to change
locations with the changing weather.
 In the cold months argentine ants will move the colonies
closer to the structure, and as it starts to get warm ants move
more out into the yard, and by summer most ants can be
found everywhere on a property from the house to the fence
line.

 Over watering or under watering lawns creates similar issues
with too much water constantly forcing ants out of the
ground, and not enough water creates a need that must be
met either by foraging from fountains, pools, leaking
sprinklers, or even heading inside of the home.

 Argentine ants tend to be more of an outside pest therefore a
majority of their control is done from outside.
 Most of the colony will be outside of the house with a colony type
that almost never moves a colony inside.
 With the external nature of the colonies existence and only about
three percent of the ant population ever leaving the nest, the
foundation treatment outside becomes a large part of their control
and prevention.
 Repellent products therefore are an ill advised solution and
outside baits become a very important piece to the complete
control plan.

 Odorous house ants are closely related to argentine ants but
their control is much more complicated.
 They can and often do nest inside of walls, shiplap ceilings
and other interior areas.
 This makes their control very difficult since the source of
infestation is usually.

 Odorous house ant will also have colonies with multiple
queens and multiple satellite colonies.
› This behavioral trait, referred to as budding makes it even harder to
control them since a lost queen won't collapse the colony and lost
workers are quickly replenished.
 Seeking out and finding colonies whenever possible should
be a priority when trying to control or eradicate them.

 Wall voids with a known or suspected colony can be treated
with a foam machine and an appropriate non repellent
pesticide.
 Dusts should never be used for these ants because the dusts
act repellent and force ants into other areas of the structure.
 Likewise repellent pesticides such as pyrethrum will also
cause colonies to move or divide.

 While the use of insect growth regulators seems appropriate,
and would logically slow budding, their use is not
recommended.
› Nygard which would seem to be adequate, acts as a repellent to
odorous house ants, and in many cases causes more issues than it
resolves.
 The best process for control is the use of crack and
treatments in infested areas, and localized gel bait
placements.

 Odorous house ants can easily be distinguished from other
closely related ant species because of their potent odor when
crushed.
› The smell is said to resemble rotten coconut.
 Under a microscope more obvious visual cues can be noted.
› They have the same globular anus as other closely related ant species
› The spiked node on their abdomen is usually hidden against the thorax
whereas it can be easily seen in the other closely related species.

 They swarm with flying alates leaving the nest around the
late spring.
 The swarmers do not have the obvious smell when crushed
therefore when looking at flying ants the smell cannot be
used as a factor for species determination.

 Carpenter ants are a common type of ant that is divided into
many different sub species.
 Of those sub species only a few infest homes typically.
 Carpenter ants typically live in trees where they create hollow
cavities in wood to make their nests and satellite colonies.
 These satellite colonies however can sometimes be found in
the structural and non-structural lumber of homes.

 A key sign of infestation is the frass that can be found in
areas of infestation.
› Found among the wood shavings from the ant colony many times
are ant heads and other left over body parts. These parts are
discarded from the colony and can be easily distinguished from
termite droppings which are smooth with evenly sized and exactly
shaped fragments.

 Carpenter ant workers are polymorphic which means that
they can be found in different sizes.
 Likewise they have a globular anus, which separates them
from several other species of ant
 under a microscope a ring of yellow hairs can be noted at the
end of their abdomen.
 They have no stingers but in many cases are large enough
to bite

 Their control inside of a house may involve injecting galleries
where satellite colonies are located, treating the outside
perimeter, outside trees, and locally treating inside hot spots.
 Several companies make granular carpenter ant baits for
outside use, and liquid treatments can be done using
appropriate non repellents.

 Integrated pest management practices include the trimming
of trees that are touching the house, and removing dead
trees from the property.
 These IPM measures are a necessity in many cases and can
be the difference between long term control and small, even
unnoticeable changes.

 Velvety Tree Ants were traditionally found in rural places and
were not a typical problem within structures.
 However, Velvety tree ants are becoming more common in
urban environments.
 They do not prefer the inside of a house. In fact most inside
infestations clear up on their own without any treatment.
 Outside they can be found under bark mulch, all over trees,
and in dead logs.

 When crushed they have a similar odor to odorous house
ants.
 Their bodies have an obvious change in color between the
abdomen and thorax with the pedicel usually an orange
color.
 The abdomen itself has small hairs on top that resemble
velvet which is why it has the name that it does.
› The abdomen therefore has a velvety appearance.

 Products with a dual mode of action such as Temprid or
Bithor are most appropriate and with cases such as heavy
bark mulch these products can be broadcasted with the use
of power sprayer.
 Treatments should not just focus on the ants themselves but
should include the use of systemic insecticides that kill
honeydew producing insects since they are the primary food
source of this species

 The Temprid label allows for its use at a rate lower than what
is listed, and cutting it down to a rate of. 375% which is 4 ml
per gallon is appropriate.
 Because the treatment involves soaking the area, when the
water evaporates a similar amount of pesticide will be left on
the ground as if the area were treated using a backpack
sprayer at a higher rate.

 However, the treatment will penetrate deep into areas of
mulch, and ground cover as a result of the heavy spray and
large amount of water used by comparison.
 Abamectin based baits, and boron based baits make the job
complete when applying them outside as needed.

 Many of the ant species with two nodes have similar
characteristics with the exception of a few.
 In the case of many species such as fire ants and harvester
ants they prefer to be outside.
 In rare cases with fire ants, colonies and reproductives can
be found inside of wall voids with accumulated water, flooded
basements, and areas of water damage.
 In many cases roof leaks, and damaged plumbing are
discovered after a swarm of ants flies from the area.

 Their control outside is done by treating mounds individually
then applying a general perimeter spray, followed by the
application of baits.
 Many companies make special fire ant baits, but Advance
375a and the full size Niban G (or generic) baits are
appropriate.
› The granules of Niban FG are generally considered too small for
these larger ants with the exception of Southern Fire Ants which are
smaller, and a few other species that feed on smaller granules.

 Fire ants workers usually have two rounded nodes on their
pedicel, and they have stingers.
 The Red Imported Fire Ant is red as the name suggests and
very large compared to other ant species.
 The southern fire ant is much smaller with the head and
thorax red to brown and the abdomen mostly black.

 Harvester ants are red like Imported Fire Ants, and also
large, but can be easily be distinguished from them by noting
the hairs on the underside of the ant workers faces.
› It can be said that they have “beards”

 Pharaoh ants are a lot like odorous house ants with how they
are controlled, but aren't as easily moved from place to
place.
 They are also much smaller than most other ant species with
a relatively small size of around 2mm in length.
 They have stingers but don't use them.

 Budding is normal with this species and they can have
several hundred reproductives per colony, but growth
regulators can and should be used on them to limit
reproduction.
 Pharaoh ants can nest in walls and prefer to nest especially
close to water sources.

 Areas behind baseboards in bathrooms where humidity might
make an area attractive are common nest locations, but also,
in wall voids, and even inside of furniture.
 Inside of houses they prefer warm humid conditions (80-86
degrees, and 80% humidity).

 Like with Odorous house ants the use of repellent pesticides
increases the likelihood treatment failure
 Treatments should always be done with non-repellent
pesticides, and selective applications of baits, and dusts.
 Repellent pesticides can force ants to go into hiding while
colonies are moved, and return as a much larger colony, or
even multiple colonies in reaction to the repellency.

 Exterior treatments should not be overlooked, and should be
done in many cases.
 These ants can nest outside close to the house, and can
sometimes be found under weed covers with workers
foraging the adjacent rooms.

 First and foremost, ant behavior varies depending on moisture.
 Overwatered lawns and under watered lawns are of concern for
many species of ants.
 Leaking pipes, roof leaks, and any moisture related structural
defect can lead to problems relating to any ant species.
 Proper lawn watering is very important.
› However, in many cases homeowners prefer the simple, incorrect idea of
"the more water the better." This often times forces ant colonies close to
the foundation inside of the house.

 Water is such an offense to ants that in many cases ants can
be seen carrying eggs as they leave an area just saturated.
 Ants will quite often enter homes as a result of overwatering
outside, but likewise a lawn that is too dry will also force ants
inside.
› It is often seen on the driest days of the year when ants scour the
inside of a structure in search of what's missing outside; water.

 Gaps and cracks that can provide ant entry should be sealed
when possible.
 While weep holes around windows should treated with an
appropriate pesticide product, other cracks and gaps around
window frames can be sealed with appropriate caulking.
 Cracks in brick and concrete can be treated but for long term
control those gaps and cracks should be sealed.
 On the inside of a structure, countertops should be sealed along
joints, and gaps, with particular attention around sinks and toilets
for areas that water or other wetness may accumulate.

 Particular attention should be paid to any recurring issue that
ants seem attracted to.
 If an ant problem continues with ants returning to a dripping
faucet, or continuous food source such as dishes in the sink,
those conducive conditions should be corrected immediately.
 Care should be taken on all ant inspections to find these
issues that should be corrected.

 Dripping sprinklers, spilled food in cupboards, loose candy
stashes and many other things can contribute to an ongoing
ant infestation.
 In many houses things fall behind refrigerators, stoves, and
other items that do not get moved regularly. Checking, and
cleaning these areas are always a necessity. Treating these
areas may also be appropriate, but not always necessary.

Photos courtesy of photographers published on Bugwood.org ITP Node
The use of trade names in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information. American Pest
CEUS does not guarantee or warranty the products named, and references to them in this publication do not signify our
approval to the exclusion of other products of suitable composition. All chemicals should be used in accordance with
directions on the manufacturer's label. Use pesticides safely. Read and follow directions on the manufacturer's label.
Pest and Diseases Image Library, Bugwood.org
Eli Sarnat, Antkey, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org
Forest Service, Bugwood.org
Joseph Barger, Bugwood.org
April Nobel, Antweb.org, Bugwood.org
David Cappaert, Bugwood.org

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