An alliance to improve urban pest ant management

Ants are one of the major pests around structures in many urban environments. In urban residential areas of California, the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr), is the most common nuisance ant species treated by pest management professionals (PMPs). Contact and residual insecticide sprays are most commonly used for outdoor Argentine ant control due to their ease of application and cost-effectiveness. Some of the insecticide active ingredients used in the spray products are frequently detected in urban surface waters at levels that are deleterious to sensitive aquatic species. The primary goal of this pest management alliance project was the implementation and promotion of low-impact strategies to effectively manage pest ants in urban environments. The project aimed to reduce our reliance on repeated use of insecticide sprays by incorporating two biorational approaches: (1) pheromone adjuvant for initial spray, and (2) baiting for maintenance visits. The alliance team was formed with participating pest management companies, industry members, and academia. Our findings from the alliance formation, development / field implementation of the low-impact protocols, and the cost-benefit analyses will be presented.