Invasive ant eradication - history, global status and requirements for improvement

Invasive ant eradication has a poor track record for success, and an even poorer history of publication of project successes and failures. Here I provide an overview of the 77 records of ant eradications. Within the post-organochlorine era , the majority of eradications (42) were very small (< 1 ha), in some cases being just one or a few nests. Two species, African big headed ant Pheidole megacephala and Yellow crazy ant Anoplolepis gracilipes, were the targets of most eradications (31 and 24 eradications respectively). It is also only in the last decade that the size of eradications has greatly increased, however, the largest eradication covered only 41 ha. In contrast, approximately 3000 infestations covering approximately 15,800 ha were eradicated over the equivalent duration of time using organochlorines, the largest eradication covering approximately 300 ha. I then discuss the current global status of ant eradication management options, and identify what we see as the actions that will provide the greatest immediate enhancement of invasive ant management, being proactive management options and greater incorporation of ant biology into eradication protocols.