ICUP Proceedings Search

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...

Two new technologies (spray with a pheromone adjuvant + biodegradable hydrogel bait delivery method) were used to develop a unique IPM protocol for Argentine ant at urban structural settings. The IPM protocol included a one-time perimeter treatment with 0.03% fipronil (mixed with a pheromone adjuvan...

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 ...

The first step in every integrated pest management strategy is to inspect and identify the target pest. Most people distinguish between ants, cockroaches, mosquitoes and other pests, but lack a basic knowledge of their characteristics. It happens a lot that people are bitten or stung in their homes ...

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...

Solid food carried into nests of ants by foraging workers is reported to be fed to larvae for digestion before nutrients are transmitted back to workers. The role of the digestion of solid food by larvae for worker consumption was investigated in the use of gel and granular baits in the management o...

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...

Development of the reproductive stages in the life cycle of ants varies among species. Formicine ants usually overwinter or spend development time in the nest between eclosion and the mating flight. Many of the Dolichodorinae and Myrmecinae mate in the nest and colonies reproduce by budding. A formi...

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 ...

Workshops on ant identification have been offered in Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia to pest management professionals since 1996 during with winter season. Number of workshops varies from 3 to 7 each year. Classes are nearly always filled to a capacity of 24 for each four-hour session. Each...

Alate ants are being collected in two urban green areas of the city of São Paulo, differing in their distances to natural Atlantic Forest remnants, in order to characterize the species diversity and the importance of urban parks in the maintenance of such diversity. Ants of the genus Camponotus are ...

Workers and mainly winged females of Ponerinae ants have been causing painful stings on people in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. The species live in small colonies, comprised from a few dozen to a few hundred individuals with monomorphic workers. Ponerinae ants are predators, although some species f...

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 ...

Pachycondyla chinensis (Emery), the Asian needle ant, is an invasive, stinging ant established in the United States. It is known to displace both native and invasive ant species such as Linepithema humile (Mayr), the Argentine ant. It can be medically important to people who are allergic to arthropo...

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....

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...

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...

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...

Camponotus colonies have a worker subcaste, consisting of major and minor workers. This designation is based on the width and height of the head (cephalic index, CI). Performance of tasks by workers results in wear of the mandibular teeth. A sample of workers was taken from a laboratory colony of Ca...

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...

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....

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...

To evaluate the potential of ants as vectors of mycobacteria in a hospital specialized in the care of patients with tuberculosis of the São Paulo State, Brazil, ants were collected from different areas between 2008 and 2010. Procedures for isolation and identification of mycobacteria were performed,...

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...

We record leaf litter ant species richness along a latitudinal gradient in the Atlantic Forest based on systematic surveys in 26 regularly spaced localities, covering almost 20o of latitude, and use this information to describe the response of different leaf-litter ant functional groups to the gradi...

Previous studies published in 2005 and 2006 about the inventory of urban ants in warm areas of Colombia (24°C, 70% relative humidity, 1000 meters above sea level), included four unidentified species of the genus Pheidole, which contributed with a frequency of 11.7%. Only two exotic species showed hi...

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 ant species Pheidole susannae Forel 1886 is native to Central America, its distribution range goes from southern Mexico to northern South America, and it is present in Colombia and Venezuela. Occurs in various habitats, including highly disturbed areas (city parks), seasonal dry forest, mature l...

The fire-ants are widely distributed in Brazil, including urban areas, but few studies are found in this country. The Solenopsis saevissima species-group encompasses ecologically and economically important ants, and has the largest number of species of the genus Solenopsis. In Brazil, the main speci...

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...

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...

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...

The aim of this study was to compare the structure of ant communities in two neighborhoods (Itaquera and Vila Mariana) with different urban profiles in the city of São Paulo. It also aims to establish the relationship between habits of the residents, the state of conservation and cleaning of homes a...

We followed the distribution of Linepithema humile colonies over three years in a natural area of the University of Buenos Aires Campus, within the city of Buenos Aires. We determined the extent of multi-nest colonies by means of aggression tests. Colonies involved several nests up to four to five h...

Solenopsis species have a worldwide distribution; some species of the S. saevissima species group, native from South America and popularly known as fire ants, had been introduced accidentally in several countries worldwide. This species group is widely distributed in Brazil, including in urban areas...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

Climatic changes, tourism and travel, intensive product deliveries, especially of tropical plants, all contribute to the growth of ant infestations in Europe. These rapidly adopting ant species might need to be more thoroughly learnt and understood and possibly new, inventive eradication systems be ...

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...

The invasive ant species complex was determined within three Puerto Rican housing developments of different ages (one, four, and eight years old). Frequency and relative abundance data were collected from each site. A total of 19 different ant species were identified from the sites, with the major p...

The growing concern of consumers about the use of traditional insecticides has increased need for development of safe, effective, and natural insecticides and repellents. Plant extracts containing essential oils have been used for centuries to kill and repel a variety of insect pests including cockr...

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...

Choice experiments determined sucrose bait base preference by using laboratory colonies of 10 species of urban pest ants, namely Monomorium pharaonis (L.), Monomorium floricola (Jerdon), Monomorium destructor (Jerdon), Monomorium orientale Mayr, Tapinoma indicum (Forel), Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fab...

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 ...

Baiting offers an integral tool in the management of ants. Baiting trials with Camponotus modoc were successful in 55% of field trials with two granular, three gel, and two containerized baits in 2005-2007. Results with two granular, three gel, and four containerized baits in laboratory trials yield...

The introduced ant, Pachycondyla chinensis (Emery) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is a pest in northwestern South Carolina, and areas of North Carolina and Tennessee in the United States. First documented in the United States over 70 years ago, it only recently has achieved pest status. This exotic speci...

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...

The Argentine ants nest in the ground and forage into hundreds of trees and houses in the area. We investigated the effect of competition between Argentine ants and red imported fire ants. When equal numbers of Argentine ants and fire ants interacted, fire ants were more successful than Argentines, ...

Of the nearly 10,000 known ant species, less than 100 are considered pests and fewer than 30 have adapted to urban disturbance. Some species, such as the Pharaoh's ant have a truly cosmopolitan distribution, nesting in and out of doors in tropical climates and only indoors in temperate climates. Mos...

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 ...

Odorous house ant, Tapinoma sessile Say, is a pest ant with global distribution. The common name is derived from the emission of a substance with an odor similar to that of butyric acid. Polygynous colonies often associated with notably dynamic populations and multiple nesting sites make odorous hou...

Ants can bite, sting and squirt formic acid. Usually the effects of the stings are mild but ants, like wasps, are capable of multiple stinging and this can induce anaphylactic shock. A few ants (such as Formica rufibarbis) are secondary hosts of Dicrocellium dentriticum in north and northwest of Ira...

The ghost ant, Tapinoma indicum, is a well-known tramp species and is highly adaptable in its nesting habits where it readily settles outdoors and indoors. As a tropical species, T. indicum may be sensitive to extreme abiotic conditions such as low relative humidity and temperature. The objective of...

The Pharaoh’s ant, Monomorium pharaonis (L.) is an important species in the urban environment. This paper discussed the performance of a new bait formulation containing S-methoprene. Discussions are made on various laboratory experiments (in Budapest, Hungary and Penang, Malaysia) and field trials i...

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...

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...

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 ...

Pachycondyla chinensis (Smith), is a Ponerine ant, endemic to Japan and parts of Asia. Although it has been established from Georgia to Virginia in the United States since at least 1874, it has received little attention here. In current literature of immunological studies conducted in Korea, in whic...

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...

As a result of the rapid rate of urbanization in Botswana, street food vending has become very popular as it supports a large number of the population with affordable, nutritious foods. There has been an associated increase in the number of cockroaches around vending sites in the streets. Cockroache...

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...

The Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) is a highly invasive species, a major urban pest, and capable of impacting native systems. It was first found in New Zealand in 1990, and in March 2000, a population was discovered on a 200-ha island reserve of conservation significance. This led to a call for ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

Controlling Tapinoma melanocephalum (F.) can be extremely difficult and lengthy since the ants’ appearance inside a building may vary by day and the location. There are no long lasting ant trails like in other species and even the preference for food may vary within the day (carbohydrates, fruit jui...

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...

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...

Lithium perfluorooctanesulfonate (LPOS, proposed common name SulfotineTM) is an isomeric mixture containing approximately 70% of the linear isomer and 30% branched isomers. Molecular formula for LPOS is C8F17LiO3S, and acute oral LD50 is greater than 5,000 mg/kg. LPOS exhibits promising oral toxicit...

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 ...

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...

A weak link in the implementation of effective termite baiting techniques is reliable recruitment of termite foragers to baits. Little is known about how termites locate food sources, but many factors may influence whether foragers find and recruit to a given bait. These include the abundance and pa...

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...

The history of natural and synthetic bioanalogues of insect juvenile hormone (JH), juvenoids is more than 40 years old. The first JH-active lipid extracts prepared from the cecropia moths in 1956. The first JH-active was an isoprenoid farnesol isolated in 1961, then “pseudojuvenilizing” or JH-mimeti...

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...

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...

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 ...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...

The role of biting or bloodsucking pesu such a lice, bedbug and flea in the'transmission of human pathogens is well known. The role of other anhropod pesu such as cockroaches, ants and flies is less clear and whilst there is a large body of evidence that they carry a wide range of pathogenic organis...