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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Imported Fire Ant and Household Insects Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #307597
Title: Evaluation of Bifenthrin Band Treatments with Targeted Mound Injections and Broadcast Baiting as a Fire Ant Quarantine Treatment in a Pot-in-Pot Nursery

Author
item Oi, David
item CALCOTT, ANNE-MARIE - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
item OLIVER, JASON - Tennessee State University

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/7/2014
Publication Date: 10/13/2014
Citation: Oi, D.H., Calcott, A., Oliver, J. 2014. Evaluation of Bifenthrin Band Treatments with Targeted Mound Injections and Broadcast Baiting as a Fire Ant Quarantine Treatment in a Pot-in-Pot Nursery. Meeting Abstract. pp 36-38.

Interpretive Summary: To impede the spread of the invasive, stinging, imported fire ants (IFA), a Federal Imported Fire Ant Quarantine was established. To support the development of IFA regulatory treatments for the fire ant quarantine, scientists from USDA-ARS, Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, Florida; USDA, APHIS, PPQ, S&T-CPHST, Biloxi Station, Biloxi, Mississippi, and Tennessee State Univ., Otis L. Floyd Nursery Research Center, McMinnville, Tennessee collaborated on two studies that evaluated a fire ant control protocol that combined 1) a broadcast application of fire ant bait, 2) a band application of contact insecticide, and 3) injections of contact insecticide to large individual fire ant nests or mounds. For a Fall 2012 test, the treated plots averaged greater than 96% reduction in the number of active fire ant mounds while the untreated controls had less than 12% reduction or had an increase in mounds, for the first 12 weeks. There was evidence of treatment degradation at week 16 when 7 active mounds were counted, and by week 24, treated plots were being re-infested. The treatment protocol resulted in effective control for at least 12 weeks, despite the heavy fire ant pressure. For the test conducted in Fall 2013, percent reductions in fire ant mounds in the treated plots were significantly greater than the controls for all sampling dates except at week 16, when active fire ant mounds decreased temporarily in the controls, perhaps due to winter (Feb.) inactivity. Percent reductions did not exceed 95% until week 4.6, and began to decline at 21 weeks. Fire ant control was not as efficacious as the Fall 2012 test which had a combination of pot-in-pots, potted plants set inside another pot (socket pot) submerged in the ground, and containerized plants on ground cloth. The Fall 2013 test contained only rows of pot-in-pots which may provide more harborage under the ground cloth because the cloth is cut to install socket pots.

Technical Abstract: The Federal Imported Fire Ant Quarantine relies on a limited number of pesticides that are available and labeled for imported fire ants (IFA) and nursery use patterns at application rates acceptable to quarantine-level treatment programs. In support of the development of IFA regulatory treatments, two studies were conducted in a nursery that produced plants in A) pot-in-pot rows alternating with containerized plants on ground cloth (Fall 2012); and, B) rows of only pot-in-pot trees (Fall 2013). Pot-in-pot grown nursery stock are potted plants set inside another pot (socket pot) submerged in the ground. We evaluated a fire ant control protocol that combined 1) a broadcast application of fire ant bait [active ingredient (AI): hydramethylnon], 2) a band application of contact insecticide [AI: bifenthrin], and 3) injections of contact insecticide [bifenthrin] to large individual fire ant nests or mounds. For the Fall 2012 test, percent reductions in active fire ant mounds in the treated plots were significantly greater than the controls for all sampling dates except for the last sampling at week 24. For the first 12 weeks, the treated plots averaged greater than 96% reduction in the number of active fire ant mounds while the untreated controls had less than 12% reduction or had an increase in mounds. There was evidence of treatment degradation at week 16 when 7 active mounds were counted, and by week 24, treated plots were being re-infested. The treatment protocol resulted in effective control for at least 12 weeks, despite the heavy fire ant pressure. For the Fall 2013 test, percent reductions in fire ant mounds in the treated plots were significantly greater than the controls for all sampling dates except at week 16 when active fire ant mounds decreased temporarily in the controls, perhaps due to winter (Feb.) inactivity. Percent reductions did not exceed 95% until week 4.6, and began to decline at 21 weeks. Fire ant control was not as efficacious as the Fall 2012 test which had a combination of pot-in-pots and containerized plants on ground cloth. The Fall 2013 test contained only rows of pot-in-pots which may provide more harborage under the ground cloth because the cloth is cut to install socket pots.