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Funded Project

Funding Program: Regional IPM Grants (S-RIPM)

Project Title: Argentine Ant IPM in the Urban Landscape Employing the Trap-Cropping Concept

Project Director (PD): Jules Silverman [1]

Lead State: NC Lead Organization: North Carolina State University

Research Funding: $61,074

Start Date: Jun-15-2004 End Date: Jun-14-2006

Pests Involved: Argentine ant

Summary: Since its introduction to the United States from South America in the late nineteenth century, the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, has become established in numerous urban developments in the southeastern U.S., including North Carolina, and is a serious agricultural and urban pest throughout much of California. In the urban environment, Argentine ant colonies can reach extremely high population levels around homes, schools, hospitals, etc. Management of Argentine ant populations is constrained by many factors, including landscaping practices using mulch in and around planting beds, which provide very suitable conditions for ant nest sites. Currently, only chemical insecticides are used in attempts to control Argentine ants and these are generally inadequate. Since Argentine ant colonies cover large areas and nests are somewhat protected by organic mulch, high volumes of insecticide are frequently needed to provide some level of control. This approach is generally not cost effective for pest management professionals, and regulatory restrictions on the types and classes of pesticides that can be used in urban environments frequently results in the overuse of a narrow spectrum of chemicals resulting in exposure to non-target organisms. The overall goal of this project is to develop an alternative pest management system for Argentine ants and is related to the USDA's national integrated pest management (IPM) initiative that calls for increasing the use of IPM systems to achieve both economic and environmental benefits. Specifically, we aim to develop a novel methodology similar to that used in agricultural settings (trap-cropping) to concentrate ants into preferred nest habitats for subsequent treatment with insecticide. Our earlier work demonstrated that aromatic cedar mulch was highly repellent to Argentine ants and that these ants avoided aromatic cedar mulch as a nesting substrate, favoring anyone of several other organic mulches. Now, we plan to use this information to pursue our objectives by combining both deterrent and non-deterrent organic mulches to concentrate ants and later apply relatively small volumes of pesticide to these infested parcels. We will also conduct surveys of homeowner/enduser perceptions of performance, and develop a workshop demonstrating this ant management approach to county extension agents. Because the Argentine ant is found throughout much of the southeastern U.S. and California and generally nests opportunistically within substrates provisioned by humans, the pest management program developed here, in North Carolina, will apply equally well to other regions of the U.S. Moreover, federal and local regulations have dictated the implementation of IPM programs in and around municipalities (offices, hospitals, schools, recreation areas) and results obtained from research and implementation of this proposal around private residences will be applicable to other peridomestic environments. Objectives: The overall goal of this project is to develop an alternative pest management system for Argentine ants. Specifically, we aim to develop a novel methodology similar to that used in agricultural settings (trap-cropping) to concentrate ants into preferred nest habitats for subsequent treatment with insecticide. Our earlier work demonstrated that aromatic cedar mulch was highly repellent to Argentine ants and that these ants avoided aromatic cedar mulch as a nesting substrate, favoring anyone of several other organic mulches. Now, we plan to use this information to pursue our objectives by combining both deterrent and non-deterrent organic mulches to concentrate ants and later apply relatively small volumes of pesticide to these infested parcels. Furthermore we propose to conduct surveys of homeowner/enduser perceptions of performance, and the develop a workshop demonstrating this ant management approach to county extension agents.

Final Report:

Results PROGRESS: 2004/06 TO 2006/06 Argentine ant management is constrained, in large part, by polydomy where nestmates are distributed extensively across urban landscapes, particularly within mulch. Management with trap-mulching is a novel approach derived from trap-cropping where ants are repelled from a broad domain of nest sites to smaller defined areas, which are subsequently treated with insecticide. This concept was field-tested with mulch surrounding ornamental trees replaced with a narrow band of pine needle mulch (trap) within a much larger patch of repellent aromatic cedar mulch. After ants re-established around the trees the pine needle mulch band was treated with 0.06% fipronil (Termidor). Poor results were obtained when the trap extended from the tree trunk to the edge of the mulched area. When the trap was applied as a circular band around the tree trunk reductions in the number of foraging ants were recorded through 14 days compared with an untreated mulch control, but not for longer periods. Reductions in the number of ant nests within mulch were no different between the trap mulch and any of the other treatments. We conclude that trap-mulching offers limited benefits, and that successful management of Argentine ants will require implementation of complementary or perhaps alternative strategies. IMPACT: 2004/06 TO 2006/06 If successfully implemented we anticipated that our trap-mulching methodology would be effective reducing Argentine ant populations with minimal insecticide input. However, based on our results we conclude that the benefits of this approach are limited. PUBLICATIONS (not previously reported): 2004/06 TO 2006/06 Silverman, J., Sorenson, C.E. and Waldvogel, M.G. 2006. Trap-mulching Argentine ants. J. Econ. Entomol 99:In press.

Outcomes N/A

Impacts From report submitted by the PI to USDA CRIS report system If successfully implemented we anticipated that our trap-mulching methodology would be effective reducing Argentine ant populations with minimal insecticide input. However, based on our results we conclude that the benefits of this approach are limited

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