The effects of a new d-limonene product on Texas leaf-cutting ants, Atta texana, and their fungus

D-Limonene is a substance derived from citrus rinds that is widely used for many different applications such as cleaning solutions or as an organic replacement for other solvents such as mineral spirits, acetone, and glycol ethers. One product that uses d-Limonene is Orange Oil’s XT-2000 which is currently marketed as a treatment for drywood termites, wood boring beetles and carpenter ants. It is hypothesized that XT-2000 will also prove to be an effective means of control for Texas leaf-cutting ants and their fungus. A series of bioassays conducted in July 2008 will be used to evaluate Orange Oil’s XT-2000’s efficacy as a contact insecticide and fungicide and will determine the future of its use as a treatment for leaf-cutting ants. XT-2000 is expected to prove a strong insecticide and fungicide when encountered in liquid form and to have little to no effect when encountered as a gas.