Response of Wasmannia auropunctata (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) to Water-Soaked Imported Fire Ant Baits
Oi, David H. | Lucky, Andrea | Liebowitz, Dina M.
The little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), is a stinging invasive ant that can establish extremely large, dominating populations in tropical and subtropical regions. In Florida, it is well established in south and central Florida with a reported northern limit of Marion County, Florida, USA. However, in 2018 to 2019 overwintering populations were discovered farther north in Gainesville, Florida, USA. There is a need to develop effective management options suitable for the site uses of these recently discovered infestations. Most commercial imported fire ant baits are formulated on a corn grit carrier that, when exposed to moisture, is thought to compromise bait effectiveness. Due to the humid and rainy summer weather in this region, the objective of this study was to determine the acceptance and efficacy of water-soaked ant baits on W. auropunctata, some of which had purported moisture resistance. Bait acceptance tests conducted in the field with dry baits determined that baits containing the active ingredients spinosad and pyriproxyfen were accepted poorly, while W. auropunctata accepted both dry and wet baits containing hydramethylnon, metaflumizone, indoxacarb, and abamectin. Laboratory colonies given access to either dry or wet baits exhibited significant declines in workers, brood, and queens with several colonies being eliminated. The results of this study indicated that water-soaked imported fire ant baits could control W. auropunctata, and moisture exposure did not cause baits to become unpalatable. However, these results should be validated under field conditions, where precipitation may reduce the accessibility of baits to foraging ants.
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