LT Barry Furman, MSC, USN Navy Entomology Center of Excellence Evaluation of Advion™, a New Indoxacarb-based Bait Developed for Control of the Red Imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren) LT Barry Furman, MSC, USN Navy Entomology Center of Excellence

Experimentation Broadcast treatments 1. Effectiveness at controlling S. invicta, Advion™ vs. Amdro® 2. Effectiveness at controlling multiple ant species

Military Implications Infest >316 million acres, 14 states - Florida west to California - Texas north to North Carolina Existing/potential problem for DoD installations across much of U.S.

Indoxacarb Indoxacarb - discovered in 1991 (E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co.) - insect must metabolize ● toxic metabolite (JT333)= sodium channel blocker ● severe neurotoxic symptoms (paralysis), death

Indoxacarb RIFA control: bait - Advion™ ● 0.045% indoxacarb ● EPA approval: August 2004

Experiment 1 Single field experiment Private game ranch - June 4-July 23, 2004 Private game ranch - between Corpus Christi/ San Antonio, Texas - ~12,000 acres ● dove, quail, deer hunting ● cattle grazing

Experiment 1 Treatments 3 replicates/treatment - 0.045% Advion™ (1.5 lbs/acre) - 0.73% Amdro® (1.5 lbs/acre) - 0.0% Advion™ (1.7 kg/ha) - control: untreated 3 replicates/treatment - replicate = 1/3 acre plot w/>10 RIFA mounds - >15 m between plots Mounds: flagged, activity graded

Experiment 1 Day 0 (7:00-9:00 a.m.) Days 1-7 (7:00-9:00 a.m.) - treatments applied Days 1-7 (7:00-9:00 a.m.) - readings once daily Days 21,49 (7:00-9:00 a.m.) - final daily readings

Experiment 1 Results Mean cumulative daily colony mortality - after 7 days ● Advion™: 96% ● Amdro®: 43% - after 21 days ● Advion™significantly greater ● Advion™: 99% ● Amdro®: 86% - after 49 days ● no change

Experiment 2 Single field experiment Private game ranch 1 treatment - June 4-July 23, 2004 Private game ranch 1 treatment - 0.045% Advion™ (1.5 lbs/acre) - control: left untreated 10 replicates - replicate= 1/10 acre plot - >15 m between plots

Experiment 2 Survey protocol - 10 baited 8 ml vials per plot ● 5 w/tuna ● 5 w/60% sugar water - dispersal ● placed out @ 9:00 a.m. ● 2-3 m intervals ● picked up @ 10:00 a.m. - species richness, abundance

Experiment 2 Pre-treat Day 0 Days 1-7 Days 21,49 - survey - treatment applied Days 1-7 - survey once daily Days 21,49 - final daily survey

Experiment 2 Results 4 species prevalent - S. invicta (RIFA) - M. pharaonis (pharaoh ant) - P. barbatus (harvester ant) - D. pyramicus (pyramid ant)

Figure 4. Comparison of the mean number of Pogonomyrmex barbatus collected per plot prior to treatment, and in subsequent days following treatment. The treated plots were treated with a label-rate broadcast treatment of 0.045%  Advion™ and the control plots were left untreated.

Figure 5. Comparison of the mean number of Dorymyrmex pyramicus collected per plot prior to treatment, and in subsequent days following treatment. The treated plots were treated with a label-rate broadcast treatment of 0.045%  Advion™ and the control plots were left untreated.

Experiment 2 Results Effectiveness of treatment - after 1 d: 92-100% decrease, all species - control of S. invicta and P. barbatus: at least 7 wk - control of M. pharaonis and D. pyramicus: 3-7 wk

Overall Conclusions Advion™: fastest acting fire ant bait available Extremely effective at controlling fire ants Effective at controlling multiple ant species

QUESTIONS??