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From: "ARS News Service"
To: "ARS News List"
Subject: New Attractant and Repellent to Target Pest Ants
Date: Wed, May 19, 1999, 7:06 AM
STORY LEAD:
New Attractant and Repellent to Target Pest Ants
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ARS News Service
Agricultural Research Service, USDA
May 19, 1999
Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov
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A new attractant and repellent mean double trouble for pest ants, including
fire ants that infest southern states and are now showing up in California.
Many commercially available baits have oil or sugar-based formulas that
attract either oil-loving or sugar-loving ants--but not both. The new
patent-pending attractant, developed by Agricultural Research Service
researchers, is attractive to multiple ant species. It can be used in
combination with water-soluble toxicants to create a bait. This attractant
degrades easily and has little environmental impact.
ARS entomologists conducted studies showing that the bait attracted imported
fire ants, Argentine ants, Pharaoh ants, little black ants, carpenter ants,
ghost ants, big-headed ants, little fire ants, acrobat ants and crazy ants.
Many of these pest ants are problems both indoors and outdoors, and cause
either agricultural, structural or other damage.
ARS scientists are also using this attractant for routine monitoring of pest
ants with Department of Defense and integrated pest management researchers.
The ant repellent, developed by ARS scientists, is a much-needed alternative
to insecticides. Many regulations limit or ban insecticides for controlling
insects, especially in populated areas. This repellent relies on chemical
scents repugnant to ants, discouraging them from entering certain areas or
forcing them to leave. It also reduces reliance on insecticides.
The patent-pending repellent should be useful against the red imported fire
ant and several other pest ants in the United States. In addition, the
repellent could potentially be effective against pest ants in other parts of
the world such as leaf-cutting ant species that can defoliate an entire
citrus tree overnight, which are problematic in central South America.
ARS is the primary research agency for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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Scientific contact: David F. Williams and David H. Oi, ARS Center for
Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, Fla., phone
(352) 374-5903, fax (352) 374-5818, dwilliams@gainesville.usda.ufl.edu,
doi@gainesville.usda.ufl.edu.
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This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information
distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the
latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm.
* Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov.
* ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD
20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648.
Hi there,
I have a son that lives in Georgia where the fire ants are bad, they really
hurt when attacked especially little kids, anyway he put clorox down there
hole, seems to work as they move elsewhere. Don't know for sure but good
luck.
Donna
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including
> fire ants that infest southern states and are now showing up in
California.
JT Thompson wrote:
> At 8:29 am -0700 19/5/99 Lon J. Rombough wrote:
> I still think peeing on the nest sounds better. Or more fun. - JTT
It is...but, unfortunately, it doesn't work!
Loy
> A new attractant and repellent mean double trouble for pest ants, including
> fire ants that infest southern states and are now showing up in California.
I still think peeing on the nest sounds better. Or more fun. - JTT
