Monday, October 29, 2012

Reducing the impact of the red imported fire ant!



          Back in June, I reported on efforts to manage the red imported fire population at the Lone Star Convention & Expo Center in preparation of the 2012 Toyota Texas Bass Classic (TTBC). Since then the 2012 TTBC has come and gone, and even with the nuisance rainfall (although after last year, rainfall is extremely appreciated at any time!) that fell over that weekend the three day event was a success.  I think it is a good time to post about the success of this management effort, so here are the specifics from the past three years.

Texas flag over the property of Lone Star Convention Center
  
Sign identifying TTBC site as a Demonstration Site


          Of course, the presence of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) at any outdoor function can be unpleasant to those participating in the function, whether it is vendors or the general public. The Toyota Texas Bass Classic (TTBC) has been held in the Lake Conroe area the past several years. It is advertised as the world championship of professional bass fishing and country music festival. The event is a three-day event that feature anglers from across all major fishing tours in the U.S., and features some of country music’s premier artists. The event proceeds benefit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and its youth outdoor programs. The TTBC has become an annual community event in the Conroe area that offers a wide range of activities that families, outdoor enthusiasts and music fans enjoy. It has generated over $1.2 million for the TPWD and the state of Texas (TTBC and TPWD estimates). The agenda of the tournament typically consists of daily tournament weigh-ins, and outdoor exposition and concerts.

          Fire ants were an issue during the 2009 TTBC in Montgomery, TX. The organizers of the 2010 TTBC voiced their concern to the property managers of the Lone Star Convention Center, Conroe, TX, (property chosen for the 2010 TTBC), and asked that something be done. The Lone Star Convention wanted to secure the business of the TTBC in future years so in August of 2010, management of the Lone Star Convention and Expo Center (9055 FM 1484 Rd, Conroe, TX 77303) contacted the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service – Montgomery County Office for advice on controlling the red imported fire ant before the 2010 Toyota Texas Bass Classic scheduled event in October of 2010. The Lone Star Convention Center is a Montgomery County property. 

          The Montgomery County AgriLife Extension Agent, Mike Heimer, thought this would be a great opportunity to showcase the Texas Two-Step Program for fire ant management to control fire ant populations on a large landscaped property. The Two-Step program is promoted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service which utilizes broadcast applications of fire ant bait products in the spring and fall followed by individual mound treatments if needed. See AgriLife Bookstore publication L-5496, Fire Ant Control: The Texas Two Step Method and Other ApproachesThis fire ant management program encourages owners of large tracts of property to plan fire ant bait treatments in advance of a scheduled event (minimum of 6 weeks) to reduce fire ant populations so they are not a nuisance to the event coordinators, vendors, or participants.  If the property is used several times a year for various events the property managers should consider a scheduled spring and fall application of a fire ant bait product to keep fire ant populations on the property at low levels.
  
Here is what we did to document this management effort.

1)  In late August 2010 and again in early June 2011and 2012 and late September 2011 and 2012 the fire ant bait product containing hydramethylnon plus s-methoprene, Extinguish® Plus Fire Ant Bait (donated by Central Life Sciences, Dallas, TX in 2010 and 2011) was broadcast at a rate of 1.5 pound product/acre via an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) mounted Herd GT-77 Broadcast Seeder (Kasco Manufacturing Company, Shelbyville, IN) over the Lone Star Convention Center property where the TTBC was to be held. 

Broadcasting fire ant bait with ATV Mounted Herd Seeder
2)  Pre and post fire ant activity evaluations were made in the fall of 2010, 2011, and 2012. Foraging fire ant worker activity was checked using 15 individual hot dog slice food lures that were placed in a grid across the property during 2012, 2011, and 2012. Here is that information:  First date in year is before fire ant bait application.


Observation/Date
8/26/10
9/27/10
9/12/11
10/27/11
8/21/12
9/27/12

Number of “hits”*

13
0

12
0

12
1
Total # ants
1180
0
860
0
670
20
Average # ants
79
0
57
0
45
1
Percent reduction
-
100
-
100
-
98
*number of hot dog slices of 15 with fire ants 1 hr after exposure
 

Beverage parasol protecting hot dog slice (with fire ants) from direct sunlight
  
3) The number of active fire ant mounds per acre was recorded utilizing 0.25 acre circles at four locations within the area to be frequented by vendors and participants on the property of the Lone Star Convention Center, Conroe, TX. Visible active fire ant mounds were recorded.  Here is that information:   First date in each year is before fire ant bait application.


Date
Loc. 1
Loc. 2
Loc. 3
Loc. 4
Average
% Red.

8/26/2010

24

12

8

28

18

-
9/27/2010
4
0
0
0
1
94







9/12/2011
0
12
0
4
4*
-
10/27/2011
0
0
0
0
0
100







8/21/2012
0
12
16
16
11
_
9/27/2012
0
0
0
0
0
100
* Very hot and dry year in the Conroe area  

4)  In 2010 and 2012 a survey of the event organizers as to their satisfaction with the fire ant  management strategy was conducted.
5)  In 2011 and 2012 a random face to face survey of the vendors as to their satisfaction of the fire ant management strategy was conducted.

           When looking through the above data tables it is clear that the baiting program in all three years was a success. Six weeks after broadcasting the fire ant bait and less than one week before the scheduled Toyota Texas Bass Classic, essentially no foraging activity and less than 1 active fire ant mound per acre was observed in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Resulting data calculated to greater than 94% reduction in foraging activity for the three years and 100% reduction in observable fire ant mounds. Organizers and vendors were completely satisfied with the effort as reflected in survey results. 
 
From Vendor face to face surveys conducted in 2011 (11 vendors) and 2012 (12 vendors):

 1) 100% were satisfied with the level of fire ant control obtained through the fire ant management strategy recommended by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and adopted by the TTBC organizers and The Lone Star Convention Center?
2) 100% would want the hosting facility of future TTBC’s adopt a fire ant management program at their location?
3) 100% would consider recommending to event organizers the need to request that the hosting facility of future TTBC’s to adopt a fire ant management program?

          I consider this to be a great endorsement of planned fire ant management before scheduled events.

          How did the Conroe area benefit?  Well the Conroe Convention Bureau estimated the economic impact of the 2010 TTBC on the Conroe area was $700,000 and the economic impact of the 2011 TTBC was $764,000 with the 2012 event to be equal or greater than that seen in 2010 or 2011. It is noteworthy that from the survey given to the TTBC organizers, they would consider a fire ant baiting program as one of the negotiated items before signing a contract and the vendors would recommend that event organizers request that the hosting facility of future TTBC’s to adopt a fire ant management program.  
  The management of the Lone Star Convention & Expo Center has witnessed the benefit of fire ant bait applications over the past three years and understands the positive effect it has on the advertising of their property to organizers of outdoor events, especially the Texas Toyota Bass Classic.  The comfort of the participants attending these various outdoor events can be emphasized in their promotional material resulting in economic benefits since more organizers are prone to book the property.  The management has placed purchasing of a fire ant bait product as a priority and will schedule bi-annual applications of a fire ant bait to manage the fire ant population on the property. 


Acknowledgements
           The authors would like to thank the managers of the Lone Star Convention Center and the organizers of the TTBC for unlimited access to the property before and during the 2010, 2011, and 2012 events. We also thank Doug Van Gundy, Central Life Sciences, Dallas, TX, for the generous donation of the Extinguish® Plus Fire Ant Bait product in 2011 and 2012 for this demonstration study. 

 For more information on  fire ant management please visit these sites:

Like information on available fire ant products, see this link: