Damage to young citrus trees by the red imported fire ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
1991
Banks, W.A. | Adams, C.T. | Lofgren, C.S.
Surveys of 2,384 ha of young citrus groves in Florida in 1982 showed that red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren, were abundant (mean = 366.8 nests per ha). The ants built their mounds around or near the base of young citrus trees 1-4 yr old and fed on the bark and cambium to obtain sap, often girdling and killing the tree. In the spring, they also chewed off new growth at the tips of branches and fed on flowers or developing fruit. In central Florida, survival of citrus trees increased when the number of ants was reduced and maintained at low levels with insecticidal bait. Tree mortality was 5.5-6.6 times higher in the untreated than in the treated sections of grove. Replacement costs for dead trees were $214.65-$843.11 in untreated than in treated 1.0-ha test plots.
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