Clumped Versus Broadcast Applications of Bait to Control Big-Headed Ants, Pheidole megacephala (F.), (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Pineapple Fields

摘要

To minimize waste and environmental contamination with broadcast applications of toxic baits, bait clumping was investigated as an alternative to control the big-headed ant, Pheidole megacephala (F.) in pineapple fields. Bait clumping is a potential replacement for the effective but time-consuming and costly method of using bait stations. The results, however, indicated that the average distance from an ant nest to a bait clump was too far to be effective due to photodegradation of the bait before the ants had time to collect it.