Ant control efficacy of pyrethroids and fipronil on outdoor concrete surfaces

Soeprono, Andrew M.; Rust, Michael Κ.; Gan, Jay

doi:10.1002/ps.3555

Cited by 16 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…T. sessile had especially low sensitivity to bifenthrin, a pyrethroid insecticide. Pyrethroids are one of the most commonly used insecticides for urban pest management 9 . They dominate the marketplace and are the active ingredient in most insecticides available to consumers for residential use in the USA 40 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparison of insecticide susceptibility levels in 12 species of urban pest ants with special focus on the odorous house ant, Tapinoma sessile

Buczkowski

2021

Pest Management Science

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BACKGROUND Many ant species are pests in urban, agricultural, and natural habitats around the world. The primary means of reducing or eliminating ant infestations utilizes chemical control, mainly applications of residual insecticides. Control failures with residual insecticides are common, driven in part by a lack of understanding of basic biological and life history characteristics, including interspecific variation in susceptibility to insecticides. The current study evaluated the susceptibility of 12 species of urban pest ants to three classes of insecticides. RESULTS Results show significant variation in susceptibility across species. Contrary to the hypothesis of proportionality, no significant relationship was detected between body mass and median lethal time (LT50) or time to 100% mortality. The odorous house ant (Tapinoma sessile) was consistently the least susceptible to all insecticides, as indicated by the highest LT50 values and the greatest amount of time required to reach 100% mortality. Comparatively low susceptibility to commonly used spray insecticides may explain why T. sessile is such a persistent pest. Broadcast applications of spray insecticides may kill off the most susceptible species, leaving behind T. sessile. Lack of competition from other ant species, combined with increased access to nesting and feeding resources may allow T. sessile to fill a vacant ecological niche and expand its range. CONCLUSION Considering T. sessile's relatively low susceptibility to insecticides, its ability to become established in areas colonized by other invasive ants, and its highly invasive behaviors, it should be watched for by biosecurity programs as it has high potential to become a globally invasive pest. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparison of insecticide susceptibility levels in 12 species of urban pest ants with special focus on the odorous house ant, Tapinoma sessile

Buczkowski

2021

Pest Management Science

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“…The removal rate of the ant cadavers, the ant cadavers treated with fipronil, and the fipronil-treated wicks coated with the methylene chloride cuticular extract from the dead ants were not statistically different, demonstrating that the extract elicited a retrieval response similar to that of the recently killed ants, and that the insecticide formulation was not a deterrent. Although preliminary, this system has the potential to allow for a targeted application of insecticides, thereby helping to reduce the potential for insecticide run-off and ground water contamination [13,14,17,49,50].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Environmental concerns over the use of liquid spray insecticides for ant control [13,14,15,16,17] have led to the investigation of alternative methods for Argentine ant control. Essential oils from plants are a deterrent to ants [18,19,20].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of an Argentine Ant, Linepithema humile, Semiochemical to Deliver an Acute Toxicant

Gochnour

Suiter

Davis

et al. 2018

Insects

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The Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, is an invasive nuisance, agricultural, and ecological pest from South America. In the United States, its primary distribution is in California and the Southeast. The structural pest control industry responds to property owner complaints when this ant’s populations become problematic and a persistent nuisance. Actions taken to control Argentine ants in the urban and suburban environment are typically complaint-driven, and often involve the application of insecticide sprays applied to the outdoor environment by professional pest managers. In California, and elsewhere, spray treatments of various residual insecticides by property owners and pest management professionals has resulted in significant runoff and in subsequent surface water contamination. As a result, an immediate need exists to develop alternative methods of ant control targeted at reducing environmental contamination. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential for the development of an alternative method of toxicant delivery focused on the Argentine ant’s behavior modifying cuticular chemistry. In short, methanol and hexane washes of Argentine ant pupae applied to paper dummies were handled significantly more by worker ants than the paper dummies that did not contain the solvent extracts. Additionally, paper wicks soaked in a methylene chloride wash from Argentine ant cadavers, air dried, and then treated with fipronil, were removed by worker ants and placed on a midden pile at the same rate (≈86% to 99% removal at 1 h) as untreated and fipronil-treated ant cadavers. The paper wicks that did not contain the methylene chloride extract were ignored by the worker ants. After three days, the mortality of the ants exposed to the fipronil-treated wicks or the ant cadavers were dose-related. In conclusion, our study suggests that there is potential for the use of ant semiochemicals for the delivery of acute toxicants.

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“…In contrast, the water samples from the 2008 treatment contained no detectable fipronil at one week post-treatment and contained greatly reduced levels of bifenthrin compared to the 2007 treatment. Jiang et al [ 11 ] evaluated fipronil toxicity to Argentine ants and run-off potential on concrete surfaces after exposure to summer weather conditions and simulated precipitation. Fipronil-treated surfaces killed >50% of Argentine ants, exposed for one minute, within 16 h of exposure.…”

Section: Standard Ant Control Methods Can Be Problematicmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alternative Methods of Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Control with Emphasis on the Argentine Ant, Linepithema humile

Suiter

Gochnour

Holloway

et al. 2021

Insects

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Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), especially the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr), can be significant nuisance pests in urban and suburban environments. Conventional interventions have primarily relied on the use of chemical insecticides, namely fipronil and bifenthrin, applied as residual, contact treatments around the outside perimeter of infested structures. Despite tightening regulation limiting the scope of insecticide applications in urban settings, dependence on these products to manage ants continues, resulting in significant water contamination. The U.S. EPA, in response, has further restricted the use patterns of many insecticides used for ant control in professional and over-the-counter markets. The purpose of this review is to summarize the relevant literature associated with controlling nuisance pest ants, with emphasis on L. humile, without the use of liquid broadcast applications of EPA-registered insecticides while focusing on low-impact, alternative (to broadcast applications) pest control methods. Specific subsections include Trail Pheromone; Use of Behavior-Modifying Chemicals; Mass Trapping; Hydrogels, “Virtual” Baiting, and Exceedingly-Low Bait Concentrations; Food Source Reduction; Deterrents; and RNA Interference (RNAi).

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Ant control efficacy of pyrethroids and fipronil on outdoor concrete surfaces

Abstract: The results suggested viable options for run-off mitigation include decreasing use on concrete such as using crack/spot treatments instead of broadcast applications, limiting pesticide use on hardscapes away from water contact, and avoiding using dust/granule formulations on hardscapes.

Cited by 16 publications

References 20 publications

A comparison of insecticide susceptibility levels in 12 species of urban pest ants with special focus on the odorous house ant, Tapinoma sessile

A comparison of insecticide susceptibility levels in 12 species of urban pest ants with special focus on the odorous house ant, Tapinoma sessile

Use of an Argentine Ant, Linepithema humile, Semiochemical to Deliver an Acute Toxicant

Alternative Methods of Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Control with Emphasis on the Argentine Ant, Linepithema humile

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