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Tapinoma magnum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is an ant of Mediterranean origin that is considered an invasive species in central and northern Europe. It is now present in Switzerland, where it was first observed in the canton of Vaud in 2012. Tapinoma magnum colonizes urban and suburban zones, includin...

In Switzerland Tapinoma magnum, an invasive ant species in northern and central Europe, was first observed in the canton of Vaud in 2012 and 2018 found in the cantons of Geneva and Zurich. In the spring of 2019, the Urban Pest Advisory Service collected ants from the front yard of a residential esta...

For more than 20 years various invasive ant species cause tremendous problems in Central Europe. The Tapinoma nigerrimum complex (Formicidae, Dolichoderinae) was first detected in 2007 in nursery plants. Further discoveries followed in the following years. Because of their species-specific propertie...

Bed bug (Cimex lectularius) monitors are effective tools in detecting early infestations and evaluating the results of control programs. Among the monitors, bed bug sticky monitors are not toxic and easy to use. But we observed that that bed bugs were repelled by the contact between the sticky film ...

Insecticide sprays used for ant control generally cause environmental contamination. Liquid bait is effective, but requires bait stations to dispense the toxicant. In this study, we develop a natural alginate hydrogel to deliver liquid bait, without the use of bait stations. Hydrogel beads condition...

In July 2015 the Invasive Garden Ant, Lasius neglectus, was identified during control measures in an apartment house in the city of Zurich. This was the second finding of this species in Switzerland and the first finding in an inhabited area. In order to find out the distribution of the population, ...

Repellents are biocides and a proof of efficacy is required for active substance inclusion as well as for product authorization. Here, we describe two test systems for efficacy evaluation of ant repellents with the substances DEET 50 %, Margosa extracts 100 %, baking powder: sodium hydrogen carbonat...

Lord Howe Island is a small sub-tropical island off the east coast of Australia. African bigheaded ant Pheidole megacephala (F.) was discovered on the island in 2003 and been subject to ongoing attempts at eradication resulting from concerns over its impact on native biota. In 2006-2007 a trial was ...

The Invasive Garden Ant, Lasius neglectus, was first recognised in Europe in 1990, and has now been recorded from at least ten European countries. It was first found in the UK in 2009 in Hidcote Manor Garden, Gloucestershire, UK, where the ant is believed to have been present for several decades. A ...

Cyantraniliprole is a novel insecticide that belongs to the anthranilic diamide class of insecticides. The novel mode of action of cyantraniliprole depletes calcium from insect muscle, affecting muscle contraction, causing paralysis and eventually death. We report the results of testing of two formu...

In the European Union, baits against pharaoh ants (Monomorium pharaonis) have to be authorized as biocidal products. The dossier to be submitted for authorization of the product has to include a proof of product efficacy. No consistent test standards have been established by the European Commission....

Of the techniques used by pest control operators to control synanthropic cryptic insects and other arthropods such as German cockroaches, ants, bedbugs, and scorpions, the application of insecticides directly into cracks is one of the most commonly used methods. Three pesticide application equipment...

As part of a study investigating experimental insecticide formulations for control of Argentine ants, Linepithema humile (Mayr), in outdoor locations, the imidacloprid-based product Premise 2 (Bayer Environmental Science) was used as a commercial standard. During the study, Premise 2 provided the mo...

Treatment strategies focused on reducing the amount of fipronil applied and the amount fipronil and its metabolites detected in the water runoff. Directed applications around the perimeter of the structure, narrow pin-stream applications, and no spray zones reduced the amount of fipronil detected. A...

Global warming together with global trade and tourism gives foreign organisms a lot of opportunities to enter Europe and to find suitable habitats to establish. Many of these species already have a status as pests in their native countries and now start to be of major concern in Europe. A survey is ...

The urban environment provides conditions for the establishment and spread of some species of ants, known as tramp ant species. They can occur in many environments, including hospitals, industrial and domestic kitchens, acting as carriers of pathogenic organisms. The most effective method of control...

One thousand four hundred seventy-seven botanical specimens represented by urban trees and palm trees, found in gardens, public squares and streets in the area of Cidade Jardim, a district in Sao Paulo, Brazil, were evaluated from 2004 to 2008. The aim was to determine which species of carpenter ant...

Baits (station, granule, gel and liquid) are widely used in the control of ant pests because of their effectiveness, ease of application, and their reduced risk to people, pets and the environment. Among the types of baits, gel baits are the most popular bait type for ant control. However, after app...

Introduction of exotic ants to Central Europe plays an increasing role for the last twenty years caused by the growing world trade and short transportation routes. Particularly tropical greenhouses offer ideal conditions for ant species with high temperature and humidity preferences and with ability...

Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) has been present in Australia for approximately 100 years and has spread to many areas of temperate climate in southern Australia. Argentine ant has proven to be difficult to control under Australian conditions with the insecticidal products available up until now....

Ants are social insects that can be found almost in every terrestrial environment around the world. As in natural environment, the artificial environments are excellent places to install nests, but when installed in human habitations they are considered urban pests, because of the inconvenience caus...

The tropical and subtropical super colony tramp ant, Nylanderia pubens, the Caribbean crazy ant (CCA), was originally described from the Greater Antilles Islands and now has spread throughout the Caribbean and South America. In 1950, CCA was first reported in Florida and now is spread throughout the...

Agriculture in tropical regions has been associated with the rapid expansion of leaf-cutting ants in clearings since an initial report in 1587. Numerous studies document higher population densities in human-simplified habitats than in natural ones, usually producing economical losses in agricultural...

The Argentine ant is a major household pest worldwide and efforts to control it usually involve the use of slow acting insecticides contained in baits, composed of either liquid sugar solutions or solid protein particles. A common toxicant used in commercial baits has been boron, either as borax (so...

Optimisation of performance of dry flowable powder formulations for control of crawling insect pests is known to involve control of particle size and effective distribution of active ingredient. Enhanced pick-up by the insect cuticle has been demonstrated through use of powder bearing an electrostat...

This investigation aimed at analyzing the passage of food inside the digestive system of Tapinoma melanocephalum. A water-soluble dye and a lipid-soluble dye were added to 3 different diets as tracers, to be later offered to different laboratory colonies of the ghost-ant. We collected 80 workers whi...

Solenopsis ant genus has a worldwide distribution but species from S. saevissima species group native to South America, and popularly known as fire ants, have been introduced accidentally in several countries worldwide. Despite a high diversity species in the Neotropical region, their ecology and li...

Health services are colonized by urban pests, being generally an integral part of urban infrastructure, especially considering the neotropical climate that is warm and wet. Therefore, pest control is widely quoted in our legislation and hospitals should be free of pests. In practice, it is observed ...

The growing urbanization process lead some organisms to rapidly set in the urban environment. These species, called synanthropic, can act as mechanical or biological vectors of microorganisms, and their occurrence represents a serious health risk. In Brazil, ants and cockroaches are the organisms mo...

Pesticides are applied in residences, schools, hospitals and other edifications to control urban pests as cockroaches, ants, fleas, flies and termites. The use of these products in indoor environment can result in exposure of children and pets to particles in the air or adhered to the floor, carpets...

Hospitals play an important role within a healthcare setting. The presence of arthropods in hospitals, like spiders, mites, bedbugs, mosquitoes, beetles, cockroaches, flies and ants, was reported in many studies. Besides its great epidemiological relevance, the presence of culicines that are potenti...

Darwin is the largest city in northern Australia, located above the tropic of Capricorn and experiences a tropical monsoon climate. A wide range of invasive and nuisance ants are present in and around Darwin and considered significant urban pests. These include African Bigheaded Ant (Pheidole megace...

Invasive ants present a serious threat to humans, wildlife and sensitive environmental habitats. The nature of these sensitive sites such as schools, nursing homes, parks, and zoos prevent the widespread application of insecticides to control ants and encourage alternative strategies. The presence o...

The Urban Pest Advisory Service (UPAS) is responsible for urban pests in the city of Zurich, Switzerland. We give approximately 2,000 consultations per year concerning pests and their control; we survey the pest situation in the city and control rats in public areas. Through a survey made among pest...

Several ant species have association to human structures in Brazil and their presence promotes problems such as contamination of food, damage to electronic appliances, and allergies due to the their venom. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of a methoprene-based bait against diff...

Tapinoma melanocephalum F. (Ghost Ant) infestations have increased in Western Europe. Generally, Ghost Ant infestations resemble those of Monomorium pharaonis (Pharaoh’s Ant) with a focus to older, multi-unit apartment blocks which offer a multitude of nesting opportunities and easy migration of ant...

A novel semi-liquid ant bait matrix containing imidacloprid between 0.001 and 0.1% destroyed all laboratory colonies of Pharaoh’s ant in a dose related time span. Best performance was observed with concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 0.1% imidacloprid. Two concentrations (0.01 and 0.05%) were field ...

Structural fumigation for household nuisance pests, like cockroaches or ants, is generally considered to be prohibitively expensive. However, for pests that are of public health importance, fumigation may be a more viable option than previously thought. Infestations of the bed bug, Cimex lectularius...

Brazil shows a high diversity of urban pest ants. Among its 2,000 recorded ant species, 20 to 30 species are urban ants (tramp species). Native and introduced species are found and are not equally distributed in its 27 states. Camponotus species are found in the five regions that divide the country ...

Metaflumizone (proposed common name) is a high performance insecticide submitted for crop registration approval in the USA in 2004. Other key country registration submissions are expected to follow the USA application.Toxicological and environmental studies indicate that there is low risk to applica...

Carpenter ants are major structural pests in the United States, Canada, and Scandinavian countries. With the advent of non-repellent chemicals and more attractive baits, shifts have occurred in management strategies that include either perimeter sprays or baiting as the sole method for control. Four...

The toxicity of granular ant bait formulations containing abamectin B1, orthoboric acid, or propoxur was evaluated in a series of laboratory experiments against American, Periplaneta americana (L.), and German, Blattella germanica (L.), cockroaches. LT50 values for American cockroaches ranged from &...

The feeding responses of three urban pest ant species, Monomorium pharaonis (L.), Monomorium floricola (Jerdon) and Monomorium destructor (Jerdon) after being subjected to nutritional starvation and satiation (either for all nutrients, carbohydrate only, protein only or lipid only) were studied usin...

Barrier applications of sprays and granules have been widely used to control Argentine ants, Linepithema humile (Mayr), around structures. Their activity against ants, especially the pyrethroids, has been ascribed to toxicity and repellency. Recent studies have shown that bifenthrin and cyfluthrin p...

The Pharaoh’s ant is one of the utmost cosmopolitan pest species in the world. Its notoriety in bacterial transmission at hospitals through sterilized apparatus makes it an even more burdensome pest. Over the years, many studies on the control of this species had been conducted. This includes the us...

Sucrose intake rate and percent effort (a variable which describes the amount of energy an insect uses to feed on a liquid) was quantified for Solenopsis invicta Buren. In other words, how much energy does the insect gain and how much energy is lost in the feeding event? In order to understand this ...

The Monomorium orientale is a common pest ant species found infesting human structures. Although it is of relatively lower significance when compared with some other more predominant ant pests, its minute size makes invading human foodstuffs almost too effortless and thus, it is deemed a pesky nuisa...

Questionnaire-based surveys of homeowners revealed that ants were the most economically important and abundant household pest after mosquitoes and cockroaches in Malaysia. Twenty-five species of ants were found indoors and outside buildings; all species nest outdoors except Monomorium pharaonis, Mon...

For more than 2 years, Bayer Corporation has worked with researchers and industry professionals to develop imidacloprid ant baits. Ant bait development has involved the input of many groups including research, marketing, formulation development, regulatory, packaging, and manufacturing. Imidacloprid...

The Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr), is a worldwide agricultural and urban pest of Mediterranean and subtropical climates. They often displace native ant species when introduced into new areas. The Argentine ant is a tramp species that easily adapts to new environments and lives in close as...

In Louisiana, 115 chemicals are registered for use against red imported fire ants,Solenopsis invicta, and other pest ants such as Argentine ants, Linepithema humile. Yet citizens and pest control operators still struggle with adequate control of ant pests in homes, nursing facilities, hospitals, and...

Structure-infesting ants are an important group of insect pests in many parts of the world, particularly in residential premises, food outlets, and factories. In Malaysia, it is gradually becoming a major problem especially in urban settings (Lee et al., 1999; Lee and Robinson, 2001). Currently, ant...

High palatability is an essential requirement for ant baits. They should not exhibit repellency and the ingredients need to be acceptable to the ant species. Since various ant species react differently to ingredients such as solvents, preservatives, or food in a bait, the determination of the palata...

The odorous house ant, Tapinoma sessile (Say), is a severe pest of structures. We have investigated whether the use of liquid bait formulations is an effective strategy for control of this peripatetic, tramp-ant species. Sixteen homes or business establishments, located in or near Cape May, NJ, were...

The Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, is an invasive species that is a serious agricultural, ecological, and urban pest. L. humile displaces native ant species and other arthropods, and also invades homes and other structures. Monomorium minimum, the little black ant, is also an urban pest that wil...

The odorous house ant, Tapinoma sessile (Say), is the principal ant invading structures in the mid-south region of the United States (Hedges, 1998) and is ranked as one of the top five pest ants in the United States (Hedges, 2000). The objective of this study was to determine which treatment, perime...

The impact of noviflumuron on whole colonies of Pharaoh’s ants,Monomorium pharaonis L., was investigated in a series of laboratory experiments. Large colonies (tens to several hundred queens, 0.5 to 2 grams brood, and 2,000+ workers contained in nine cm diameter by two cm high plastic Petri dishes w...

Argentine ants, Linepithema humile (Mayr), are a major urban pest species in many countries with Mediterranean and semi-tropical climates. L. humile primarily feeds on honeydew, nectar, and other liquid sweets. Baits consisting of sucrose solutions are highly preferred. Sucrose-based liquid solution...

Carpenter ants, Camponotusspp., are major structural pests as well as nuisance pests in northern areas of the United States, southern Canada, and northern Europe. Management tools have included cultural controls to modify habitats and foraging, dust applications to wall voids, perimeter sprays, bait...

The benzoylphenyl urea insect growth regulator (IGR) noviflumuron and the fast-acting insect neurotoxicant spinosad were field tested separately and in combination to determine efficacy against the Red Imported Fire Ant (RIFA), Solenopsis invicta Buren. Two separate trials were conducted in three se...

The Pharaoh ant, Monomorium pharaonis (L.) is an important pest ant species in many parts of the world. Knowledge and understanding of feeding behavior of this species are essential to the success of baiting. Transfer of a toxicant in a bait to kill a targeted colony depends on the ability of the nu...

A complex of synanthropic arthropoda that inhabit a variety of rural and urban localities is systemized depending on the different parameters. These include the type of harm caused by arthropoda to people, including: arthropoda that are vectors and agents of infectious diseases; arthropoda that caus...

Hexaflumuron is a chitin synthesis inhibitor registered in the United States solely as a termite bait active ingredient. A benzoylphenyl urea insect growth regulator, with the proposed common name of noviflumuron, is being developed by Dow AgroSciences for use as the active ingredient in a termite b...

Ants and subterranean termites are economically important insect pests in the urban environment. Managing populations of these pests through bait-toxicant control tactics is a viable option that requires a thorough understanding of their biology. The terminology used in describing a bait-toxicant co...

The Pharaoh’s ant Monomorium pharaonis (L.) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is a widespread urban pest, being most common in large, heated buildings. Fipronil is a novel phenyl-pyrazole insecticide, effective against insects of urban importance including termites and cockroaches, being active by both oral...

Pharaoh’s ants, Monomorium pharaonis, are one of the more difficult indoor pest ants to control. We studied if routine exterior monitoring and initiating baiting when infestations are incipient, will prevent infestations inside a building. The study was conducted at a 7,841 m2 two-level building wit...

The distance and speed that workers of Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr), dispersed food was determined by feeding colonies sucrose + red dye. The maximum distances that the dye was dispersed was 33, 48, and 54 m at 24, 48, and 72 hours, respectively. The addition of 0.001% and 0.0001% fipron...

Efficient control and eradication of Pharaoh’s ant is a difficult task for PCOs mostly due to the fact that several queens live in a nest, all of which can not be killed with traditional methods. PROTECT B Pharaoh’s ant killer bait is a special ready-to-use formulation that contains an insect growth...

Records of visits to 22,615 dwellings in the London Borough of Southwark, for period October 1993 to December 1998, were examined. Data were analysed for ghost ants (Tapinoma melanocephalum Fab.), pharaoh ants (Monomorium pharaonis L.), house mice (Mus musculus L.) and brown rats (Rattus norvegicus ...

Pharaoh ants, Monomorium pharaonis, are significant pests associated with man and his environment. Chemical sprays are not ideal control methods if they cause the ants to disperse. There is a preference for bait treatments that provide a means to use ant biology to transfer slow-acting compounds int...

Many synanthropic species of insects occur in households and other domestic situations. Some of these pests are very well known to inhabitants, e.g. ants, silverfish or cockroaches. While small insects, such as psocids, are often overlooked. Synanthropic species of psocids (especially from the gener...

The regular and effective control of some synanthropic crawling insects as cockroaches and ants is unavoidable but due to the requirements of human health and environment protection, their elimination needs new concepts and methods. Cockroaches, first of all the German cockroach Blattella germanica ...

Carpenter ants feed on both liquid and solid food. Baiting for carpenter ants has proceeded using both of these media to introduce toxicants into the colony for control. Ingestion of food particles larger than 100 microns is effectively curtailed by the specializations of the epipharynx, hypopharynx...

Control of insects by the consumer, within the home and around the perimeter to prevent pest invasion requires products that have certain key features. These include fast action, extended activity, low/no odor, no marking/staining of surfaces, and convenience of application. Current products that ar...

The Urban Pest Advisory Service with three part-time employees is responsible for the hygienic aspects concerning urban pests in the city of Zurich, Switzerland. The city has a surface of 9,200 hectares and 360,000 inhabitants. The main fields of work are the following: 1. to give advice to the publ...

Demand CS® (lambda-cyhalothrin) has been designed specifically for use in urban pest management. The product is based on microencapsulation technology which encloses the liquid active ingredient in a polymer shell to provide protection against hostile environmental conditions. Electron microscopy an...

The utility of pheromone enhanced ant baits was investigated using fire ants as the model organism. The enhanced bait consisted of hydramethylnon (active ingredient), soybean oil (phagostimulant and Ai solvent), defatted corn grit (carrier), and 'invictolide', a component of the fire ant queen recog...

In the early spring Lasius niger may be a nuisance indoors. These ants often originate from nests right next to the foundation, below the house or sometimes even directly under the floor. The ants raise the humidity, which may result in severe damage to the woodwork, due to rot. The same applies to ...

The Coastal Brown Ant (Pheidole megacephala) is a major introduced nuisance pest species in the most populated regions of Australia. The aim of this trial was to examine the potential of imidacloprid and triflumuron as active ingredients for ant baits. Baits based on peanut butter and the nitromethy...

Containerised insecticide bait products offer considerable advantages for control of urban crawling insect pests. However the differences in insecticide susceptibility and food preference between some pest species have resulted in a diversity of commercial bait products, each targeted at specific in...

Impact of carpenter ant infestations in structures ranges from nuisance pests to seriously damaging pests if structural timbers are attacked. Carpenter ants excavate wood to form galleries for their brood and tunnels for foragers. A mature colony consists of a parent or main colony with the queen, w...

A betacyfluthrin SC containing 12.5% active ingredient was introduced to the pest control market (Responsar SCm). Applications by pest control professionals have shown good efficacy against Blattella germanica. On porous surfaces the particles stay more on the surface and are not so readily absorbed...

Five representative types of bakeries were surveyed in the city of Riyadh, K.S.A. to ascertain pest situations and various schemes on pest control management. The principal pests include stored product pests (e.g., Tribolium confusum Duval, Tribolium castaneum (Hbst.), Mus musculus and Rattus rattus...

In North America 20 species of Camponotus have been recorded as pest species causing either structural damage or occurring as nuisance species. Structurally damaging species are found in the subgenera: Camponotus. Tanaemyrmex, and Myrmothrix. Carpenter ants causing the most serious damage in eastern...

Three potential biological control organisms, a fungus Beauveria bassiana, a protozoan Thelohania solenopsis and a parasite, Solenopsis daguerrei are being evaluated in the field to suppress fire ant populations. All of these organisms have some detrimental effect on fire ants in the laboratory but ...

A new class of chemistry, the fluorosulfonates, is being developed for the control of structural pests such as ants and termites. The novel bait chemistry has been found to be effective over a wide range of dose dependent concentrations over most structural pests. A brief review of the data is prese...

Commercial bait products are becoming increasingly important for household and industrial pest control. The advantages of baits are widely acknowledged and include convenience and ease of use, discrete placement of the insecticide, reduced environmental contamination and minimal disruption to the cu...

Global potential of sulfuryl fluoride (SF), S02F2, the active ingredient in Vikane* Gas Fumigant is being reexamined in light of recent regulatory pressures on competitive fumigants. Researchers in Europe and Japan are investigating the utility of SF as an alternative to Methyl Bromide for control o...