Ant Knockdown with Triumph Insecticide, New Mexico, 1992

Ants collected by use of an aspirator (harvester and pyramid ants) or by hand (carpenter ants) from active colonies in the City of Albuquerque. The ants were collected on 17 Nov and kept overnight in plastic collection vials in the laboratory. Carpenter ants were collected the following morning. Ten each of the three species were placed in separate 10 cm plastic petri dishes and refrigerated. Each group of 10 ants was randomly assigned for treatment with Triumph 4 EC at 11.2 ml per 28.3 m2 or held as checks. Treatments were applied by placing the ants on a sheet of newsprint paper or directly on a cement surface and passing the boom of a CO2 sprayer approx. 60 cm above. The boom had 3 X-4 tips spaced 50.8 cm apart. Operated at a pressure of 350 kpc and a speed of 8 km/h, the sprayer delivered 47.1 liters per ha. Within 2 min after spraying, ants were picked up by hand or with a portable [Black and Decker™] hand vacuum and replaced into a petri dish. Knockdown was observed at 2 h and mortality (no movement when prodded with a pencil) observed at 7 h and daily for 6 d. Two to 3 drops of tap water were placed in all petri dishes on days 4-6. Normal day length (10 h) and temperature of 12.8-21.1°C were maintained after treatment.