1. 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

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

3. 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.

9. 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

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

12. 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

13. Experiment 1 Treatments 3 replicates/treatment
% 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

14. 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

15. 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

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

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

20. 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

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

24. 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.

25. 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.

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

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

29. QUESTIONS??