Argentine ant IPM: Reduced pyrethroid applications

There has been an increasing concern about the amount of pyretrhroid insecticides sampled from urban waterways in California. It has been suggested that perimeter ant treatments are responsible for the increased levels of pesticide. An alliance of university researchers, extensions specialists, Pest Management Professionals (PMPs), and California Department of Pesticide Regulation personnel developed an IPM program with the primary goal of reducing pyrethroid applications by 50%. A-Pro Pest Control, Clark Pest Control, Corky Pest Control, Lloyd Pest Control, Orkin Pest Control and Western Exterminator Company participated. Each PMP provided two residential routes of approximately 125 customers in each. One route was retained as a conventional Argentine ant control regime which included pyrethroid sprays. A second route was designed that incorporated alternative baits and sprays and reduced pyrehroid applications by at least 50%. The IPM routes and conventional routes had a similar percentage of call-backs or re-treatments and time spent treating the residence. All of 6 participating companies reduced their pyrethroid applications by 50% on the IPM routes. Several companies reduced pyrethroid applications by > 90%.