Pest Management Professional, October 2013

tips tricks ANTS Control Solutions Inc By Marie Knox PCO Technical Manager Ant identification can begin several ways with a call from a prospective or current customer with a sample brought in by a technician or from a certain level of curiosity while spending time outside Whatever the reason youve been called to solve an ant problem remember a correct identification can lead to a better and more thorough resolution I prefer identification techniques that are simple and easy enough to do quickly in the field Size color and trailing behavior are basic characteristics that can help narrow species choices Its important to be familiar with the species active in the regions youre servicing as well as how time of day and year affect the level of ant activity you might encounter Size and color characteristics are self explanatory I also take into account each species trailing and harborage traits when devising an effective treatment strategy If an ant is primarily arboreal prefers to hang out in trees youre most likely to find it trailing upward on a structure near the eaves which is where you should place the product youve chosen for treatment On the other hand if your species is more of a ground nesting variety you might find more activity near the foundation and associated with entry points closer to the ground Exploit these traits when creating your treatment strategy Let the ants behavior help guide your strategy and product placement To read more of CSIs ant tips visit www mypmp net s ant tips cat all BASF Pest Control Solutions By Dr Jason Meyers Market Development Specialist On the long list of pests pest management professionals PMPs battle ants have been and probably will continue to be at the top Ants are the No 1 reason why homeowners call PMPs accounting for more new customer calls than any other pest Ants can begin a new relationship that can result in a long term customer But dont fret Some manufacturers have developed effective nonpyrethroid alternatives including products that use ants social nature grooming and feeding behaviors against them When applied these products can create a treated zone of nonrepellent protection around the home Ants passing through the treated area pick up the nonrepellent insecticide on their bodies and can transfer the active ingredient to nest mates through routine social contact This enables the active ingredient to spread and kill ants that might never make direct contact with a treated surface a key to eliminating ant problems To read more of BASFs ant tips visit www mypmp net s ant tips cat all Syngenta By Dr ElRay Roper Senior Technical Representative Ant baits one of the most commonly used tools to control ants work well when ants come in direct contact with them However some baits wont control entire ant colonies so its important to choose a bait that employs horizontal transfer to ensure the ants and the product work harder for you Horizontal transfer occurs when an insect that has been exposed to a bait returns to its colony and contaminates other insects Instead of relying on every insect to contact the bait directly horizontal transfer enables more comprehensive control of an entire pest population An understanding of the target ant species can help you determine the best practices and products to use A working knowledge of ant food preferences foraging patterns and colony size will help enhance the effectiveness of your work and the effects of horizontal transfer To read more of Syngentas ant tips visit www mypmp net s ant tips cat all Central Life Sciences By Doug VanGundy Senior R D Director Fire ants are an increasing problem in the U S The U S Department of Agriculture USDA estimates the pests cause almost 6 billion of damage per year Destroying crops and electrical equipment arent the only trouble with fire ants They also inflict severe stings producing pain inflammation and pustules that can lead to infection Here are a few tips to share with customers about identifying an infestation and how to deal with them Fire ants are typically 1 to 3 mm long They have a reddish head and thorax and a black abdomen Theyll rapidly attack in force anything that disturbs their mound Mounds can be as tall as 15 in Theyll build their mounds in open areas and under or adjacent to structures such as rocks and landscape timbers etc Starting with cooler weather fire ant mounds might be more readily visible because of the increased moisture To read more of CLS ant tips visit www mypmp net s ant tips cat all Rockwell Labs Ltd By Founder and CEO Dr Cisse Spragins Ants can be active and invade structures anytime the weather is sufficiently warm typically 50 F or warmer One of the best ways to prevent the formation of large colonies of pest ants is to use a weatherable granular bait in a proactive perimeter treatment program If nonperimeter areas with conducive conditions such as heavy vegetation or woodpiles exist these areas should be treated too The protocol also should include application to the structure of a microencapsulated pyrethroid This twopronged approach will take care of other occasional invaders in addition to ants If ants already are a problem at the structure a three pronged approach should be used A nonrepellent should be applied 1 ft up and 1 ft out around the perimeter and on identified trails An ant labeled granular bait should be sprinkled on top of where the nonrepellent was sprayed on the ground Lastly a sweet gel or syrup ant bait should be applied along identified trails To read more of Rockwells ant tips visit www mypmp net s ant tips cat all Bayer CropScience LP By Joe Barile Technical Services Support Bait formulations clearly have demonstrated value to PMPs not solely from the efficacy they deliver but also by meeting requirements of a changing marketplace of Continued on page 106 104 October 2013 Pest Management Professional www mypmp net