Bug Blog
Blame the ‘Impressive Fire Ant’
Blame the ‘impressive fire ant’ for delayed at Vancouver’s airport and don’t expect things to get much better
Richmond B.C. — The invasive fire ant continues to spread in the Lower Mainland, wreaking havoc on Vancouver airport runways and forcing CP Rail to burn the soil on the Arbutus corridor in attempts to eradicate them.
Last summer, several planes hit birds feeding on the fire ants at YVR, forcing a series of short runway closures.
And the pest problem is no longer confined to the common European fire ant.
It has branched out to include a lesser-known species dubbed the “impressive fire ant,” according to Thompson Rivers University entomologist Rob Higgins.
“We’re talking of two different types of fire ants,” said Higgins, noting both fire ants appear to be on the move. “We’ve got them in virtually every municipality.”
We’ve got them in virtually every municipality
Higgins has been conducting surveys of known fire ant infestations and doing random sampling throughout southwestern B.C. to assess the extent of these tiny aggressive insects, which possess a painful sting and swarm very quickly when disturbed.
The investigation initially focused on the European fire ants, which spread naturally over short distances by budding off new colonies in which a queen and a group of worker ants leave a nest to form a new colony.
His research took a turn, though, after a Burnaby entomologist sent Higgins a sample a few years ago of a fire ant discovered at his home. Higgins, who was heading back east to compare his collection, took the ant along and determined it to be the Myrmica specioides, a lesser known species from Europe, that undergoes mating flights every summer.
But it wasn’t until later that fall — after a call from Vancouver International Airport’s wildlife program — that Higgins started researching the impressive fire ant.
Airport officials were worried about a spate of collisions between small birds, mostly barn sparrows, and planes on the runway during July and August, which forced them to close the runway for five to eight minutes each time to clear away the mess.
“They wanted to know what they’d been eating,” Higgins said. “I looked at their gut contents and they were full of impressive fire ants. They’d been eating a lot of them, especially the winged queens.”
Higgins said it appears the impressive fire ants, who nested in the grasslands around the airport, were attracted to the end of the runway for their mating flights. The swarm of ants then attracted the birds, most of them barn swallows. In one month last summer, he said, there were 50 collisions between birds and planes. One day, there were five runway closures.
David Bradbeer, a runway wildlife specialist at YVR, confirmed the situation. “It is a service inconvenience, but we do close the runway to remove the carcass because we don’t want another bird to be attracted and get hit.”
Bradbeer said the situation only became a problem in the past year. He noted the YVR wildlife management branch has been trying to understand the ecology of the many species around the airport, including the swallows and fire ants, to figure out how to deal with the problem. The investigation has just started, he said.
Fire ants are difficult to control or eradicate, even with pesticides.
Higgins acknowledged the impressive fire ant is “just emerging as an invasive species here” and while he and Bradbeer are looking at running an experiment at YVR to control the ants, he expects it could take a year to get the permits.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Pacific Railway, which is tearing up its tracks along the Arbutus corridor on Vancouver’s westside, has been incinerating the soil along the tracks and said it will now also burn the rail ties to ensure the ants aren’t transported to another location.
“I just got confirmation we will incinerate the ties in that whole area,” said CP spokesman Jeremy Berry, noting the move will likely happen next week.
Although Higgins has yet to tally the numbers he has collected through his research, in the past four years, the ants have been introduced to at least 25 locations on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland through the movement of landscaping materials, soil and potted plants.
He noted the most common areas for fire ants tend to be Vancouver and Chilliwack, but they were recently spotted in West Vancouver, Burnaby and handful of spots in the District of North Vancouver.
Protect pollinators from pesticides
2. If you must spray plants in bloom, select a pesticide that is less toxic to bees (e.g. Bt, insecticidal soap, summer spray oil). Spot spray when possible to limit pesticide exposure risks.
3. Apply pesticides only after flower petals have fallen, when plants are less attractive to bees. This will reduce the risk to bees coming in contact with pesticides.
4. Select pesticide formulations carefully to reduce risk. Dust (D), wettable powder (WP), flowable (F) and other formulations that leave visible powdery residues on plants are picked up by bees more easily than emulsifiable (EC) or soluble concentrate (SC) formulation. Follow any specific pesticide label requirements to protect bees.
5. Follow any specific pesticide label requirements to protect bees.
6. Read the package label to see if the pesticide contains a neonicotinoid insecticide with these active ingredients: clothianidin, dinotefuran, imidacloprid or thiamethoxam. Use these products after flower petals have fallen because they may be highly toxic to bees for several days after application.
7. Avoid applying these neonicotinoid insecticides by soil drench or tree injection methods to plants known to attract bees. These methods may contaminate nectar and pollen for some time after treatment.
8. If you must use a soil drench or tree injection to apply these neonicotinoid insecticides, do it after flower petals have fallen and use the lowest possible effective dosage to help reduce the risk to bees. Also, try to select an insecticide that offers the shortest persistence in ornamental plants while still controlling the pest.
Beneficial Ants
Beneficial ants being mistaken for invasive species in Naramata near Penticton BC
PENTICTON – A beneficial native species of ant is being mistaken for an invasive species that doesn’t, according to a Thompson Rivers University researcher.
Following an InfoNews story on the European fire ant last week, several people have taken to social media to express fear those ants have taken up residence in their neighbourhood. University researcher Dr. Rob Higgins noted the similarity between the native thatching ant and the European fire ant.
Higgins discovered European fire ants in Naramata in 2013 and is currently working on a plan to eliminate the invasive species in that community. As far as he knows, Naramata is the only area in the interior of the province where the ant is found, as they prefer the wetter climate of the coast.
The difference between an ant bite and a sting may not be apparent to most people.
“Fire ants ( impressive fire ant ) are tough to identify and many people confuse them with thatching ants which are native and tend to bite, not sting,” Higgins noted in an email.
“I was getting a couple of emails a day a couple of weeks ago with pictures of thatching ants. Thatching ants are quite good for the environment especially by removing pests from trees, but their aggressive nature and fairly large size can cause concern for some people,” Higgins said.
While it is possible people are seeing European fire ants, Higgins said it is unlikely. He thinks they are probably seeing thatching ants, which are quite common.
“Near Oliver there are some harvester ants, that can sting. They are quite rare and are in need of protection, as they are only found south of Oliver,” Higgins said.
To survive floods, fire ants have evolved the ability to form living rafts on the water, this colony of fire ants is rafting in a flooded field. The isolated rafts of ants had spread out and connected up, creating a living bridge across the water to dry land.
Impressive Fire Ant
Impressive fire ant (IFA; Myrmica specioides): Specimens were sent to Dr. Higgins from Vancouver Airport that were originally thought to be European fire ant (EFA), but they turned out to be a very similar species, M. specioides. YVR has a highly established population of M. specioides in their fields. Unlike EFA, these are undergoing mating flights. In July and August, the ants were creating mating swarms that go towards obvious landmarks such as the end of runways. Barn swallows fly in to eat these ants when they are in large densities, leading to the swallows being hit by planes. This is considered a fairly serious issue at the airport, leading to runways being frequently shut down. At this point, Dr. Higgins is unsure if this very large population of ants at YVR will continue to grow and spread. Controlling the spread could be extremely difficult due to their mating flights. There is a concern that IFA may also be traveling in the cargo area of airplanes that travel around the world (this is the most likely pathway of introduction into BC).
European fire ant (EFA; Myrnica rubra): these ants do not undergo mating flights, therefore there is more potential to control their spread. These ants establish very high density populations and do not like to cross streets – Figure 4: Argentine Ant Photo credit: Sean McCann BC Inter-Ministry Invasive Species Working Group Invasive Ant Workshop – October 2014 18 often infestations occur within a single city block but adjacent blocks are ant-free. It is very important to ask people to not move ants or materials out of infested areas. Populations are established in southwest BC, south Vancouver Island, Courtenay, and at a unique location in Naramata. Infestations result in people being unable to use outdoor areas where EFA are present. A recent study by the provincial government showed the potential economic impact of EFA could be over $100,000,000 annually for BC. Affected stakeholders include residences, parks/municipalities, botanical gardens, commercial landscaping operations, equestrian areas, community gardens and pest control professionals.
In polygynous colonies: reduced intraspecific aggression facilities the establishment of the super colonies. Annual inflicted damage @ 1 billion a year in the US, reduction of direct competition, from native species to birds.
Choosing the Right Pest Control Company
Your home or place of business is a valuable asset. With a professional pest control technician’s help, pest infestation and damage can be minimized or avoided. If pests such as ants or rodents have invaded your space, you will, in most cases, require a profession who can solve the pest problem safely and effectively and is certified to handle pesticides that are not available to the public. Professionals are trained to use a wide variety of baits, targeted sprays, dusts and non-chemical treatments to control structural and household pests. You want someone who with proper equipment and training and knows of pest behaviours and nesting habits. You want someone who will remove the pests in a humane and ecology-sound manner, without causing damage to your property.
Consider the following:
- They are local and know the area.
- Insured and licensed.
- Up to date on training, safety methods and regulations.
- Will meet for an initial assessment to identify and discuss the problem and a treatment plan.
- Will guarantee their work.
- Provide follow up.
- Provide regular inspections.
- If requested, will arrive in an unmarked vehicle.
- Disclose details of the treatment plan, all fees and costs, terms and conditions in a contract.
