Ants and Ant Control Dr. Richard M. Houseman Department of Entomology University of Missouri.
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Transcript of Ants and Ant Control Dr. Richard M. Houseman Department of Entomology University of Missouri.
Ants and Ant ControlAnts and Ant Control
Dr. Richard M. Houseman
Department of Entomology
University of Missouri
Ants
• Order Hymenoptera– More than 8,800 species world-
wide
• Social Insects– Division of labor
• Complete metamorphosis• Complex Feeding
– Feed on many different things– Circulate food within the
colony
Social Organization
• Life Stages– Eggs
• Fertilized or unfertilized
– Larvae• Legless, grub-like stage
• Cannot feed themselves
• Perform no maintenance
• Digest solid materials
– Pupae• Inactive, pre-adult stage
Social Organization
• Life Stages– Worker
• Sterile adult females
• Most numerous stage in colony
• Responsible for all nest maintenance activities
– Reproductives• Queen = egg production; single or multiple queens
• King = winged; only for mating and dies afterward
Ant Biology
• Feeding and Nutrition– Eat many different kinds of food
• Honeydew, Sweets• Protein, Oil • Seeds, Plants • Insects
– Usually have preferred food types
Feeding and Nutrition
• Workers obtain solid and liquid food– Honeydew preferred
– Aphids protected by many ants
• Trophollaxis – Solid foods digested by larvae
– Digested food circulated through the colony by workers
Ant Biology
• Nesting Habits– Nesting sites usually chosen
by instinct
– Three Nest Types• Soil nests
• Wood nests
• Opportunistic nests
– Knowing nesting habits is important
Missouri Ants
• Hundreds of species– Not all considered pests.
• Several pest ants present
• Most belong to one of three groups– Myrmecinae – Formicinae– Dolichoderinae
Ant Management
• Identify the ant.
• Find out where the queen ant is living.
• Direct control measures at areas where the queen is living.
• Correct contributing conditions
Missouri’s Top Ten
– Little black ant– Pharaoh ant*– Acrobat ant– Pavement ant– Carpenter ant*– Yellow ant– Cornfield ant– Allegheny Mound ant*– Odorous house ant*– Argentine ant
Pest Ant Identification
• Three Main Characters• Antennae
– All ants have elbowed antennae
• Waist– Pedicel with node(s)
• Anus– Nozzle or slit-like– With or without hairs
Pest Ant Identification
• Myrmecinae – Pedicel with two nodes
• Formicinae– Pedicel with one node
– Anal hairs
• Dolichoderinae– Pedicel with one node
– No anal hairs
Missouri Myrmecinae
• Little Black Ant– Opportunistic, budding
• Pharaoh Ant– Opportunistic, budding– Multiple, related queens– Supercolonies
• Acrobat Ant– Wood nests, single queen
• Pavement Ant– Soil nest, many queens
together
Missouri Formicinae• Carpenter Ant
– Even thorax, multiple size workers, wood nests, single queen
– Satellite colonies
• Yellow Ant– single queen; soil nest
• Cornfield Ant– single queen; soil nest
• Allegheny Mound Ant– Uneven thorax, Multiple size
workers; soil nests; multiple queens
Allegheny Ant Mound (Formica exsectoides)
Myrmecinae
• Imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta)
– 10S Antennae; 2S club– Honeydew, sweets, protein, oil,
seeds, plants, insects– Workers multiple sizes– Single or multiple queens– Soil Nests
• Open, sunny areas; crater-shaped mound; under debris; inside logs;
– Swarms spring through summer; colony budding
Missouri Dolichoderinae
• Odorous House Ant– Small; one size; opportunistic
– Single queen; no swarm
• Argentine Ant– Small; one size; opportunistic
– Multiple, related queens; no swarm
Ant Management
• Identify the ant.
• Find out where the queen ant is living.
• Direct control measures at areas where the queen is living.
• Correct contributing conditions
Ant Management
• Possible Control Tactics– Physical and Cultural– Chemical
• Directed at queen– Mound drenches– Void spaces– Wood treatments– Baits
• Directed at structure– Perimeter treatments
Ant Management
• Cultural– Sanitation
• Remove food sources
• Remove nesting sites– Debris piles
– Vegetation
• Moisture control– Ventilation
Ant Management
• Physical– Exclusion
• Sealing cracks and crevices– Often very difficult due to size
– Vacuuming• Useful for removing exposed
satellite colonies
Ant Management
• Chemical (Queen-directed)– Soil Drenches
• Soil-dwelling ants– Apply to mound, mulch, etc.
• Thorough penetration– Low-pressure spray
– Watering can
– Best for single queen ants
Ant Management
• Chemical (Queen-directed)– Void Treatments
• Wall voids– Nests usually found at base of wall
• Brick veneer– Apply at weep holes along outside
• Masonry brick/hollow blocks– Drill near infestation and inject insecticide
– Dusts and aerosols commonly used
Ant Management
• Chemical (Queen-directed)– Wood treatment– Injection
• Drill into nest
• Dusts or aerosols
Ant Management
• Chemical (Queen-directed)– Baits
• Depend on species and colony (‘finicky eaters’)• Sweet vs. protein feeders and yearly cycles
– Try several different types until get good feeding
– Placed near to the colony• Use lots of bait in untreated areas• In corners and along active trails• Check within a week
Ant Management
• Chemical (Structure-directed)– Perimeter Treatments– Used to prevent workers from entering the structure
• Temporary relief
• Applied to base of foundation and area adjacent to foundation
– Wettable powders, microencapsulated
Ant Summary
• Social Insects• Different forms in colony; division of labor
• Many pest species in Missouri• Unique in appearance and biology; identification is
key to control
• Interesting Biology• Communicate using chemical signals• Food sharing within colony• Variety of nesting habits and feeding preferences