Outsmarting Ants: Why One Tool Isn’t Enough
At the core of the term “Integrated Pest Management” is the idea that there are a lot of different tools out there to control pests and that successful control is not reliant on one tool over another. In fact, it’s typically the opposite, where success is achieved through using many tools and even different versions of the same tool. Ant control is a great example of a pest group that is best mitigated through lots of different tools. For one, there are many different species of ants, each differing in their behavior, food preferences, and habitat, making them a tough pest to control with just one universal tool. When asked to tackle “ants,” regardless of species, having complementary tools at your disposal will result in faster management.
A liquid residual may be the tool we consider first, and it is a good one. Typically we can use it to protect structures from many exterior ant species. If we know where the nest is, it can often be an incredibly effective application in response to an infestation. Unfortunately, we don’t always know where the nest is. There are some species of ants (such as Pharaoh Ants) that grow their populations through budding. A residual application can make the infestation spread. Where there once was a pocket of ants, the addition of a residual can make that pocket break into several pockets, making control even more challenging.
For these situations baits are excellent. They rely on the natural behavior of the ants to feed their colony. Baits have a slow-acting poison so that the ant that picked it up has time to bring it back to the colony and feed them with it, poisoning the population. So if we can’t find the nest, it’s okay, the scouts know where the nest is and will bring the poison back to it. If the population buds in response to residuals, using baits keeps the population in one place and manageable while the poison in the bait circulates throughout the nest.
CSI is proud to offer many tools for ant management, including Fuse and Doxem Plus Fire Ant Bait. Fuse is a long-lasting non-repellent liquid residual designed to preventatively protect structures and combat ant populations. Containing the active ingredients Fipronil and Imidacloprid, this broad-spectrum residual with two modes of action is a great tool against many outdoor pests, not just ants.
Doxem Plus Fire Ant Bait is incredibly effective against fire ants, as well as bigheaded ants, pavement ants, and turfgrass ants. This bait is a granule, making it an excellent outdoor tool for lawns, recreational areas, golf courses, and other non-crop and non-grazed areas. Doxem Plus Fire Ant Bait gains control with the use of 3 active ingredients: indoxacarb, which controls through ingestion and contact; pyriproxyfen, an insect growth regulator that prevents larvae from becoming reproductive adults; and novaluron, an insect growth regulator that prevents the proper development of the exoskeleton.
See the proof in action. This quick video shows how Doxem® Plus Fire Ant works and just how attractive it is to ants. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq82Rj4GeYo
Having complementary tools, each with complementary active ingredients, ensures a comprehensive ant management plan with faster, more complete, results.
