SBIR-STTR Award

Currently, red imported fire ants (RIFA) "Solenopsis invicta," infest over 140 million hectares in the USA. The estimated annual cost for controlling these invasive pests and to repair damage caused by them is approximately 6 billion dollars. The RIFA directly impact crops, livestock, nurseries, sod producers; electronics, communications and airports; households; and other economic sectors. In addition, humans are impacted directly. Approximately 50% of the population in infested areas is stung per year, with approximately 5% developing hypersensitivity. The bottom line is that RIFA infestation results in higher food production costs by decreasing yields. Further, they are a direct contributor to increased use of broad-spectrum insecticides that also harm other beneficial insects, increased medical and veterinary costs, damage to equipment and ecological impact. There is a great need for non-insecticidal methods for controlling the spread of RIFA. No naturally occurring insecticides that only target imported fire ants currently exist. The successful execution of this SBIR grant will result in developing naturally-occuring, species-specific affordable, biologically active compounds that can be used commercially for fire ant control. This in turn will lead to increased crop and animal production, thereby increasing food security of the nation. The project will build upon prior research and will be conducted with the assistance of a CRADA with the USDA Agricultural Research Service and in collaboration with Virginia Military Institute and the VMI Foundation.

Currently, imported fire ants infest over 140 million hectares in the USA (it is a serious international pest as well) and cost Americans an estimated 6 billion dollars annually for control and to repair damage to agriculture, households, electric and communications, and several other economic sectors (Lard et al. 2006). Current control methods primarily target the household economic sector, which yields the highest profit margin. Control methods include toxic drenches, formulated granular contact insecticides, and baits. All give temporary relief from RIFA infestation, but baits are the environmentally responsible option because baits put much less Active Ingredient (AI) into the environment. Baits are effective because the fire antis efficient at finding retrieving, and distributing the AI to nestmates (Lofgren 1986).There are currently only a two baits available in the market. The AIs of the existing baits are oil soluble. The solvent is either corn or soybean oil, which also acts as a phagostimulant for the target ant. The AI/oil is absorbed into a corn grit product that simple mechanical spreaders can distribute (Williams 1983). By contrast, water soluble AIs are usually formulated as aqueous solutions with sucrose acting as the phagostimulant. The solution may be further formulated before it is put in a bait station that protects the bait from the environment, but allows access to the target ant. Besides borates there are few water soluble AIs formulated in a bait station and available to the public for use against fire ants or household ant pests. Fire ants cost the household economic sector $3.7 billion/yr (Lard et al. 2006). There is a need for new AIs that can be used in baits. Our water soluble biologically-based AI could fill the general public need for bait control of pest ants in and outside homes. RIFA function as opportunistic omnivores, e.g., tending aphids for honey dew, deform new-born livestock, and kill susceptable wildlife, ruining pick-your-own operations, and necessitating hay bale quarantines and fire ant free certification. Invasive red fire ants cause extensive agricultural losses in the areas afflicted. As such RIFA inhibit the growth of organic farming, farm-to-restaurant supply chains, pick-your-own and similar economic development models that can revitalize rural communities. Currently there is no effective organically certified bait treatment on the market to control RIFA. Our project will produce a biologically-based, cost-effective bait method of control that will be of great use for home gardens, home lawns, pick-your-own farms, green houses and chicken raising facilities, and nurseries.