11/20/2020

Pest Ant Identification and Control Tactics

Brittany Campbell, PhD, BCE

1. Ant Biology
   1. Eusocial insects
      1. Division of labor
      2. Cooperative brood care
      3. Overlapping generations
   2. Fun ant facts
      1. Cover some of the unique behaviors of ants and build an appreciation for the many species that are not pests
   3.  Pheromones
      1. How ants create trails/use pheromones to find food and why it’s important
   4.  Reproduction
      1. General lifecycle information presented
      2. Swarming information and what to expect when ants swarm
2. Common ant ID
   1. Basic ID characteristics and differences between common species in Maryland
      1. Carpenter ants
      2. Odorous house ants
      3. Acrobat ants
      4. Pharoah ants
      5. Pavement ants
      6. Field ants
   2. Differences between ants and termites

3. Ant Control
   1. Explanation of why eusocial biology is important and how pest control uses this biology to advantage
      1. Inspection
      2. Understanding nesting habits – Exclusion
      3. Baits – sharing of food resources
      4. Liquid insecticides

Speaker: Brittany Campbell, PhD, BCE