SUSTAINABLE FIRE ANT MANAGEMENT

Abstract: Efforts are underway to introduce natural enemies of the red imported fire ant to lessen its competitiveness against native ants. Releases of fire-ant-decapitating phorid flies have been made in several southern states. Mass rearing and additional releases of these flies are underway now. Experimental releases of a disease-causing protozoan have been made in ten southern states. A number of least-toxic fire ant control materials are discussed. Sources for some materials are provided in the Resources section. Physical controls such as hot water, steam, and ant traps are discussed. Fire Ant Ecology and Biological Controls The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, arrived in the U.S. from central Brazil between 1933 and 1945 by hitchhiking on ship cargo. Though S. invicta has become quite a pest, not all fire ant species have achieved pest status. The black imported fire ant, Solenopsis richteri, arrived before the red imported fire ant, sometime around 1918. S. invicta has out-competed its black cousins and also crossed with them, creating hybrids between the two species (1). The Texas red ant, S. geminata, a native American fire ant found in much of Texas, is not considered a pest. The red imported fire ant prospers in open sunny areas such as cropland, pastures, and urban lawns. It is an insect of disturbed, low-diversity habitats. In its native South America, the ant evolved in frequently disturbed floodplain areas. Undisturbed areas, such as swamplands an