Evaluating Residual Efficacy of TERMIDOR^® SC Termiticide/Insecticide When Applied Around Homes for Ant Control, 2016

Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are major insect pests in urban and agricultural environments. Many household nuisance ants build their colonies both indoors and outdoors. If infestations are encountered, the structures are normally treated for minimizing ant populations and disrupting entry points. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Termidor^® SC Termiticide/Insecticide against nuisance ants under field settings when compared with Suspend^® Polyzone. Three treatments consisting of sequential applications were: Termidor^® SC at 0.06% AI followed by Termidor^® SC at 0.03% AI; Termidor^® SC at 0.03% AI followed by another treatment of Termidor^® SC at 0.03% AI; and sequential applications of Suspend^® Polyzone at 0.03% AI. These treatments were compared to an untreated check in the study. The untreated check homes did not receive any treatments. Each home received the same insecticide during both applications. All treatments were randomly assigned to 16 homes. The experimental design was CRD with four replicates per treatment. Pre-treatment ant population was monitored by placing eight ant bait-tube traps made of cylindrical plastic tube (17 × 100 mm, VWR, Chicago, IL) around each home. Each trap contained peanut butter on paper as a food source. The treatment area for each home was measured and the amount of diluted insecticides was determined per label. The pre-calculated insecticides were sprayed adjacent to and on the exterior foundation using a 3.79-liter B&G Compressed Air Sprayer (Jackson, GA). The homes were treated with two consecutive applications of insecticides at a 12-wk interval. The treatment protocols for Termidor^® SC and Suspend^® Polyzone were different. Termidor^® SC was sprayed 30.5 cm up and 30.5 cm on perimeter and 45.8 cm width around structures such as doors, windows, eaves, soffits, etc. Suspend^® Polyzone was sprayed 61 cm up and 305 cm out on sod along the perimeter and structures. Ants were monitored at 3 days, 1, 3, 6, and 12 wk following the first application, and 3 days and 1 wk after the second applications. Pre-treatment and post-treatment ant populations were monitored using the same traps and techniques. The percent reduction trend was evaluated using pre- and post-treatment nuisance ant populations.

Ant percentage reduction following first and second applications was analyzed separately as repeated measures ANOVA (P < 0.05) using PROC GLIMMIX (SAS 9.4, SAS institute, NC). At each collection time, significant differences among treatments and untreated check were calculated and mean comparison was done using Dunnett’s Method.

The data from both first and second applications revealed that the Termidor^® SC and Suspend^® Polyzone significantly reduced the ant population as compared to the untreated check (P < 0.05) (Tables 1 and 2). Rebounding ant counts following the first application were reduced to very low levels following the second application. The recommended spray area with Termidor^® SC (perimeter: 30.5 cm up and 30.5 cm out, structures: 45.8 cm out) is less than Suspend^® Polyzone (61 cm up and 305 cm out), however we did not find significant difference in ant population reduction between the Termidor^® SC and Suspend^® Polyzone treatments. These data suggest that all three treatments provide adequate control of nuisance ants.

This research was supported by industry gifts.