Problems & Solutions, January 2000

Q: We have been servicing a poultry plant for several years and never had problems with Pharaoh ants. Suddenly, they are appearing in the production areas and seem to be coming form the roof area. Any suggestions?

A: When we first looked into this problem, we had to decide what has happened that caused the ants to "suddenly" appear in the production area. They have probably been there for some time since you are seeing so many. The technician had started baiting in the roof area with some success but there was not an overwhelming acceptance of the baits. So we surveyed the roof area again to look for food sources that may be there.

Chicken processing plants in the area are known for their seagull populations and they are probably feeding on the roof area. Sure enough, there was evidence of this. We also looked for water sources because these ants like to nest where water is readily available. Roof areas can provide the necessary moisture through air conditioning units or just from rain.

It had been dry so if their water is not readily available this may be why the ants were traveling into the production area for water.

This appeared to be the case. The use of liquid baits (and lots of it) in protected stations so it did not dry out were readily accepted. Inside the plant, USDA IIC would not allow pesticides — even baits — to be used in many of the areas where the ants were appearing. Double-sided tape was used around beams and tops of walls where the ants had been seen trailing.

Q: I am having a problem with sugar ants in a residence. Can you offer some suggestions?

A: My immediate response is, "Which sugar ant?" There are several ants that invade structures that are often referred to as sugar ants. It would be nice to know exactly which ant you are describing since that could effect the way we approach resolving this problem. But with what you have de scribed, you at least know they are feeding off of sweets.

In your area, one ant — the Argentine ant — could be a severe problem. And, the Argentine ant likes sweets. Collect some ants and get them identified, but in the meantime, place sugar-based baits in the areas you see them foraging. Also inspect outside and see if you can see any trails of ants.

If your find any trails, you can also bait these. You could opt to spray the perimeter and as a deterrent or use a granular bait, probably a pyrethroid, to give some relief until you get the ant identified.

If it is the Argentine ant, then you will have to increase the amount of bait being used several fold. Or, look at applying perimeter sprays early in the year to knock out some of the plant pests that may be attracting the ants to the structure. If there is evidence inside that this ant is possibly nesting in walls, dusting into those areas will provide relief.

Q: We have been servicing a poultry plant for some time and have most of the original problems under control. We are having some problems with American roaches in the washing and de-feathering area. We have used dust in walls but corporate directives from the plant owners limits use to certain pesticides. Any suggestions?

A: Our inspection found that your approach to the situation was well- thought out. Your hands were tied by a corporate decision about what pesticides were to be used in the facility. That, coupled with years of remodeling, additions and upgrades, made life fairly miserable for control efforts.

These corporate decisions have been occurring more and more and I believe we will see more of this situation in the future.

Your IPM approach with documentation was excellent. But the problem was one of education not execution. The area where the occasional problem surfaced was a wet and at the very least, a moist area. Dusting into the old block walls in that area was the right approach in my opinion. But the selection, or rather direction, to use boric acid was in error. This material will not work well in that situation.

My recommendation is to use DeltaDust since it is the only dust available that stays dry in that situation. The use of aerosols into the walls may make the roaches move, causing more concern by the corporate people.