Preventing ants from foraging in pecan trees often enhances biological control of pecan aphids by preventing secondary predation by ants on aphidophaga. Trunk barriers effectively prevented ants from foraging in pecan trees. Ant repellent compounds were mixed in wax and applied to rope and tied around the trunk and evaluated as barriers to ants. These repellents were compared to an insecticide trunk spray, a tanglefoot trunk band and a teflon tape trunk band with repect to the time the ants were repelled and the impact on aphids and aphidophagous insects in the trees.
Species 1: Hymenoptera Formicidae Solenopsis invicta (red imported fire ant)
Species 2: Homoptera Aphididae Monellia caryella (Blackmargined aphid)
Species 3: Coleoptera Coccinellidae Harmonia axyridis (multicolored Asian lady beetle)
Keywords: trunk barrier, secondary predators
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