Are you smarter than … other PCOs?

Literally, red imported fire ants are everywhere in Alabama. Imported fire ants impact domesticated and wild animals and plants in agriculture, businesses, gold courses, schools, utilities, airports, etc. The loss to households in urban areas alone is estimated to be $175 million annually. A survey conducted by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System in 2005 revealed that the majority of residents in urban environments rely on pest management professionals for control of their fire ant problems. This means that  pest control technicians are on the frontlines of the industry’s battle against fire ants. But are they armed with all the information they need?

A survey conducted in 2006 by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System sought to determine exactly how much pest management technicians know about fire ant control technologies and their appropriate use. The purpose of the study was to determine whether technicians need to be educated on control technologies and what kind of scientific knowledge they need. In total, 322 technicians were surveyed with a response rate of 82 percent.

RIGHT ANSWERS. The study found that the majority of the participating technicians knew the appropriate application of products and were capable of making the right decisions. This was indicated in a high percentage of technicians (70 percent) knowing that fire ant mounds should not be disturbed prior to treatment. Disturbance before treatment reduces the possibility of contact with control products by workers who scatter to defend the mound, as well as by queen ants that may move deeper into the mound upon disturbance.
A high percentage of technicians (81 percent) knew not to apply baits just before rain because rain/water ruins bait particles and results in a quick loss of active ingredient. (This may be different with granular insecticides that usually work faster and better when watered into the soil surface.)

However, when asked about when broadcast applications should be used, about half of the participants considered individual mound treatment when there are not too many mounds visible. This result suggests that pest management technicians need to learn more about fire ant basic biology and foraging behaviors to aid them in treatment decisions. Fire ants do not always build aboveground mounds, especially during summer and drought seasons. They live in colonies in the soil and their nests can extend down to the water table and spread out for several feet around the nests. Wingless workers can roam far form the nest in search of food.

PRODUCT PREFERENCE. Survey data shows that baits and granular are the most preferred product formulas. About 73 percent of participants said they preferred using baits and granular product to other formulas, 22 percent were in favor of liquid products and 5 percent favored dusts. A preliminary survey three years ago found that less than 30 percent professionals favored baits or granular products. This dramatic change in favorable product formulations shows a positive adoption of new technologies by the pest management industry.

We asked about the reasons of their preference towards different product formulas and 70 percent said they like baits because “baits provide longer control” and 15 percent said they believe “baits are cost effective.”
Of those who preferred the use of granular products, 40 percent say “they kill fire ants fast” and 35 percent thought “they provide longer control.” Other given reasons included “homeowners like it” and “easy to use.”

Of those who listed liquid products as their first choice, “kill fast” and “cost effective” are the main reasons. Those using dust formulations as their first choice considered “cost effective” and “easy to use” as the main advantages.

CONCLUSION. Because PCOs are held accountable for successful fire ant management in Alabama, they must make correct decisions of which, when, how a product should be used, and why. This study suggests that there is a need for such scientific knowledge to be delivered to the industry’s frontline technicians. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System is set to launch such an educational fire ant control program targeting the professional pest management industry. The educational program will highlight unique characteristics and proper use of each new technology, as well as basic fire ant biology to help technicians understand fire ant-product interactions. For additional information, visit www.aces.edu/dept/fireants/, a site that is in the process of being added to with new project information.

The author is an associate professor/extension entomologist at Auburn University. She can be reached at hu@giemedia.com.

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ABOUT THIS SURVEY
A descriptive survey was conducted using an on-site survey model. A questionnaire with six questions was carefully developed to determine PCOs’ knowledge about fire ant control technologies, the use of different products and technologies, the effectiveness of products (in the PCO’s view) and their preference of products. Of the six questions, three were “true or false” and three were multi-choice questions.

The survey form was handed out to Alabama PCOs attending meetings/workshops/training (including Alabama Pest Control Association annual meetings, workshops sponsored by product manufacturers and Alabama extension training) before fire ant training sessions and collected at the end of the sessions. Each PCO was requested to fill in the survey form only once.

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Manufacturer Update: AntInstitute.Com Debuts As Ant Education Resource

This February, BASF launched the Ant Institute (www.AntInstitute.com), an online resource for consumers in search of information about ants. The Ant Institute is a sister site to the TermiteInstitute.com Web site that BASF introduced to consumers in 2006. PCOs may be interested in directing consumers who have questions about ants and/or termites to these sites.

“BASF has consistently invested in consumer marketing to drive high-quality leads to our partners in the industry,” said Karl J. Kisner, senior marketing manager of BASF. “The content and functionality of the Ant Institute are inspired by the same philosophy that led BASF to create the Termite Institute — that an informed consumer is more likely to make smart choices about protecting their property from pests. Our goal is to educate visitors to AntInstitute.com and TermiteInstitute.com about the benefits of working with a pest professional for annual inspections, preventative treatments and curative solutions.”

Highlights of the Ant Institute Web site include:
• A “Find a Pro” section that drives homeowners to BASF Partners via a ZIP-code locator. Those BASF Partners registered with the TermidorHome.com Hot Leads program will reap the benefits of this same lead generation function through AntInstitute.com, as interested homeowners can opt-in to have pest control companies contact them directly, BASF reports.
• An “Ant Solutions” section that details the advantages of a thorough inspection by a pest professional and discussion of the available options for professional control, as compared to the trial-and-error, do-it-yourself strategies that often result in wasted time and money for homeowners, BASF says.
 • An “All About Ants” section that includes in-depth, individual ant profiles and information on ant identification, biology, habits, control and prevention.
• A map of the United States highlights which ants are likely to be seen in each state throughout the country.
• An FAQ section offers answers to the most frequently asked questions about ants.