ANTS: Facts, Fiction, and Control

1. ANTS: Facts, Fiction, and Control Eleanor Spicer Rice NCSU Entomology Department

2. First, let’s check some facts . . .

3. First, let’s check some facts . . . TEAM NAME __________________________________ TEAM MEMBERS _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ Question 1 (circle one): TRUE FALSE Question 2: TRUE FALSE Question 3: TRUE FALSE Question 4: TRUE FALSE Question 5: TRUE FALSE Question 6: A B Question 7: A B C Question 8 (circle two): A B C D BONUS: ____________________________________________ Fill out your sheets as we go along!

4. Question 1:True/False Most ants are pests.

5. Question 2:True/False All ants have nests.

6. Question 3:True/False There is an Argentine ant colony right now with trillions of workers that spans nearly 4,000 miles.

7. Question 4:True/False Ant workers are both male and female.

8. Question 5:True/False Smaller ants never grow up to be bigger ants in the colony.

9. Question 6:Pick A or B Which of the following two choices is an effective home remedy for killing fire ants: A. dumping grits on the nest B. dumping a pot of boiling water on the nest

10. Question 7:Pick A, B, or C Which of the following pest ant species relies least on trailing pheromones to gather food? A. Sugar ants (Argentine and odorous house), B. Little Black Ants (Monomorium minimum), C. Carpenter ants

11. Question 8:Pick A, B, C, or D Choose the two substances that are MOST attractive to ants out of the following list: A. Protein B. Fiber C. Carbohydrates D. Lipids (fats)

12. Bonus question: • Which is the closest relative of ants? • Which is the closest relative of termites? Wasp Dragonfly Cockroach House fly

13. Hand in your sheets!

14. Let’s see how you did . . .

15. Question 1:True/False Most ants are pests. FALSE!!!!!

16. Most ant species are NOT pests! <100 >30,000

17. What do they do? Maintain ecological balance and biodiversity Pollintation Seed planting And much more! Soil aeration Plant protection

18. Question 2:True/False All ants have nests. FALSE!!!!!

19. Some ants don’t need a nest! • Army ants and driver ants • >200 species • Move non-stop

20. Question 3:True/False There is an Argentine ant colony right now with trillions of workers that spans nearly 4,000 miles. It’s true!

21. Argentine ants have supercolonies! • ~4,000 miles in Europe • Several in U.S. • No supercolonies in Argentina • Why?

22. What happens when Argentine ants invade?

23. What happens when Argentine ants invade?

24. What happens when Argentine ants invade?

25. What happens when Argentine ants invade? Argentina United States

26. How can you treat a supercolony? • Try to get everybody on board • Try to be thorough • Tailor your bait to your ant

27. Question 4:True/False Ant workers are both male and female. FALSE!!!!!

28. All ant workers are female! • Ant colonies have: • A queen (or queens) • Workers (all female) • Males • So what do males do?

29. What about termites? • Termite workers are both male and female

30. Question 5:True/False Smaller ants never grow up to be bigger ants in the colony. It’s true!

31. Small ants do NOT grow up to be big ants! • Ants have complete metamorphosis (egglarva pupaadult)

32. Small ants do NOT grow up to be big ants! • Ants have complete metamorphosis (egglarva pupaadult) • What are small ants?

33. What are small ants? Either: • They’re just little! or 2. They received different food as larvae.

34. Question 6:Pick A or B Which of the following two choices is an effective home remedy for killing fire ants: A. dumping grits on the nest B. dumping a pot of boiling water on the nest

35. Why grits don’t work: • Grits aren’t deadly • Ants cannot process grits alone • Why do grits “work” for some people?

36. Why boiling water does work: • Nobody can withstand boiling water • The best time to do it: 6 o’clock PM • Adding detergent or salt increases death rate

37. Why the water must be boiling:

38. Question 7:Pick A, B, or C Which of the following pest ant species relies least on trailing pheromones to gather food? A. Sugar ants (Argentine and odorous house) B. Little Black Ants (Monomorium minimum) C. Carpenter ants

39. Ants forage differently • Carpenter ants use sight, trails, and tandem running • Sugar ants and little black ants use trails • Asian needle ants carry each other

40. You can use foraging behavior to decide treatment • Clumping increases effectiveness for trailers • Scattering increases effectiveness for eyesight foragers • What about for carrying ants?

41. Question 8:Pick A, B, C, or D Choose the two substances that are MOST attractive to ants out of the following list: A. Protein B. Fiber C. Carbohydrates D. Lipids (fats)

42. Ants prefer protein and carbs Proteins Carbohydrates

43. Ants prefer protein and carbs • Dietary preferences change with the seasons • Tailoring treatment for the seasons can increase effectiveness

44. Ants prefer protein and carbs • Dietary preferences change with the seasons • Tailoring treatment for the seasons can increase effectiveness • You can also tailor your bait to determine treatment area

45. Bonus question: • Which is the closest relative of ants? • Which is the closest relative of termites? Wasp Dragonfly Cockroach House fly

46. May I answer any of YOUR questions?

47. Insecticide Trial for ANA • Tested for speed and efficacy • 0.5 grams of product to 50 ants • Recorded # dead for 10 days

48. Insecticide Trial: Results Proportion individuals dead

49. Insecticide Trial: Results Extinguish Plus treatment showed highest and fastest mortality Maxforce FG and Complete treatments are effective over time Proportion individuals dead Advion and Optigard are also effective

50. Insecticide Trial: Bottom Line • This is a lab trial, under controlled conditions • It is recommended to use a variety of products for maximum efficacy