Location: Imported Fire Ant and Household Insects Research
Project Number: 6036-32000-051-024-I
Project Type: Interagency Reimbursable Agreement
Start Date: Aug 1, 2023
End Date: Nov 30, 2024
Objective:
To prevent the spread of imported fire ants in the USA by improving treatments of nursery stock used to maintain the Federal Imported Fire Ant Quarantine.
Approach:
1) Validate the alate and worker RIFA soil bioassay results from bifenthrin and lambda cyhalothrin drench-only treatments using 16-inch root balls infested with small RIFA colonies.
2) Determine the residual efficacy of non-repellent insecticides applied at reduced rates to (a) minimize treatment costs and (b) prevent migrating RIFA colonies from infesting B&B root balls.
3) Improve IFA treatment methods of B&B root balls in collaboration with the Tennessee State University, Otis L. Floyd Nursery Research Center (TSU) by conducting bioassays on female fire ant alates using soil samples from TSU studies, pending need and resources.
