What is being used to control fire ants?
DPI&F is using a low-toxic bait treatment, which consists of coarsely-ground corn soaked in soybean oil and an insect growth regulator (IGR), either S-methoprene or pyriproxyfen. S-methoprene is widely used in mosquito control programs in the Brisbane region. Pyriproxyfen is commonly used as an IGR in dog/cat flea collars. The bait is applied by broadcasting it over an area using about a teaspoon per square metre. Worker ants take bait granules back to the nest, where they are passed among other ants and fed to the queen. These baits do not kill the ants but sterilise the queen and stop the larvae from developing. The worker ants are not replaced and the colony dies out.
