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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 #196443
Title: MANAGING IMPORTED FIRE ANTS IN URBAN AREAS

Author
item DREES, BASTIAAN - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
item VINSON, BRADLEIGH - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
item GOLD, ROGER - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
item MERCHANT, MICHAEL - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
item BROWN, ELIZABETH - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
item ENGLER, KIM - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
item KECK, MOLLY - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
item NESTER, PAUL - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
item KOSTROUN, DAVID - TEXAS DEPT OF AGRICULTURE
item FLANDERS, KATHY - AUBURN UNIVERSITY
item GRAHAM, FUDD - AUBURN UNIVERSITY
item POLLET, DALE - LOUISIANA STATE UNIV
item HOOPER-BUI, LINDA - LOUISIANA STATE UNIV
item BECKLEY, PATRICIA - LOUISIANA STATE UNIV
item HORTON, PAUL - CLEMSON UNIVERSITY
item DAVIS, TIM - CLEMSON UNIVERSITY
item GARDNER, WAYNE - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item LOFTIN, KELLY - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item VAIL, KAREN - UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE
item WRIGHT, RUSSELL - OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
item SMITH, WAYNE - OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
item THOMPSON, DAVID - NEW MEXICO STATE UNIV
item KABASHIMA, JOHN - UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
item BLAKE, LAYTON - MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIV
item KOEHLER, PHIL - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
item Oi, David
item CALLCOTT, ANNE-MARIE - USDA-APHIS, PPQ

Submitted to: Experiment Station Bulletins
Publication Type: Experiment Station
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/19/2006
Publication Date: 9/6/2006
Citation: Drees, B.M., Vinson, B., Gold, R.E., Merchant, M.E., Brown, E., Engler, K., Keck, M., Nester, P., Kostroun, D., Flanders, K., Graham, F., Pollet, D., Hooper-Bui, L., Beckley, P., Horton, P.M., Davis, T., Gardner, W., Loftin, K., Vail, K., Wright, R., Smith, W., Thompson, D.C., Kabashima, J., Blake, L., Koehler, P., Oi, D.H., Callcott, A. 2006. Managing imported fire ants in urban areas. B-6043, Texas Cooperative Extension, Texas A&M University, College Station TX 22 pp.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The two species of imported fire ants (red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, and black imported fire ant, Solenopsis richteri) and their sexually reproducing hybrid are invasive insects whose stings can cause serious medical problems. Imported fire ants interfere with outdoor activities and harm wildlife throughout the southern United States. Ant mounds are unsightly and may reduce land values. Although fire ants do prey on flea larvae, chinch bugs, cockroach eggs, ticks and other pests, the problems they cause usually outweigh any benefits in urban areas. While it may not be possible to eradicate these species in large areas of infestation, the best control programs use a combination of non-chemical and chemical methods that are effective, economical and least harmful to the environment. Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, is a systems approach to managing insect, mite, disease and weed pests. It uses of a combination of the most compatible and ecologically sound pest suppression tactics to keep pest populations below levels that cause problems. IPM uses cultural, biological and chemical methods. This bulletin describes site-specific, goal-oriented management programs for urban sites where fire ants occur and are a pest. The goal of IPM of fire ants is to prevent or eliminate problems caused by unacceptably high numbers of fire ants, rather than elimination of all ants from the ecosystem.