Simple Methods to Kill Ants1 Inside Small Containers

Commerce of live ants has increased around the world with potential negative consequences. Field-collected colonies are shipped in small plastic or glass containers, and ant colonies moved illegally need to be confiscated and killed by regulatory authorities. We obtained 100% mortality of field-coll...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Southwestern entomologist Vol. 46; no. 4; pp. 879 - 884
Main Authors Blanco, Carlos A, Rosario-Lebron, Armando, Smith-Pardo, Allan H, Citrone, Charles, Hernández, Gerardo, Snyder, Clay, McGee, Jerry W, Dubey, Aditi
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Society of Southwestern Entomologists 17.12.2021
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Summary:Commerce of live ants has increased around the world with potential negative consequences. Field-collected colonies are shipped in small plastic or glass containers, and ant colonies moved illegally need to be confiscated and killed by regulatory authorities. We obtained 100% mortality of field-collected worker ants of seven genera immersed in 70% isopropyl alcohol for 60 minutes, in 10% sodium hypochlorite (Clorox) solution for 8 hours or placing them at -11 to -28°C for 8 hours in the freezer of a refrigerator. Exposing worker ants to 20 seconds under microwave energy killed 100% in only six of the seven ant genera. Seventy-five percent of Solenopsis invicta Buren workers survived microwave treatment.
ISSN:0147-1724
2162-2647
DOI:10.3958/059.046.0409