Imported Fire Ants in Tennessee

F.A.R.E.T.

TENNESSEE FIRE ANT RESEARCH AND EDUCATION TEAM
by Pat Parkman, Karen Vail, and Tahir Rashid

The Tennessee Fire Ant Research and Education Team (FARET) was formed in spring of 2003 as a collaboration between the University of Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station and Tennessee State University Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research. Core team members include Dr. Karen Vail, UT Extension Urban Entomologist and Associate Professor; Dr. Patrick Parkman, UT Institute of Agriculture IPM Coordinator; Dr. Tahir Rashid UT Post-doctoral Research Associate, and Dr. Jason Oliver, TSU Research Assistant Professor. Gray Haun, Tennessee Department of Agriculture, and Beth Long, UT Extension Specialist, will assist the core team.

The primary mission of FARET is to develop imported fire ant (IFA) management strategies for the state’s nursery industry and to provide educational programs for nursery producers in counties affected by IFA infestations and in areas where emerging infestations are likely. Most research activity will occur at TSU’s Otis L. Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville (Warren County) and at private nurseries.

Specific research objectives include evaluating various treatment combinations and application methods using existing IFA insecticides registered for use on woody ornamentals and in ornamental nurseries; determining the efficacy of experimental insecticidal compounds and reduced-risk biopesticides; assessing current status of biological control agents released in Tennessee; and determining the distribution of the red imported fire ant, black imported fire ant and the hybrid imported fire ant in Tennessee.

In addition to control recommendations, educational program components will include information to help distinguish IFAs from similar-looking native ants and other mound-producing ants; establishing guidelines for initiating community-wide IFA abatement programs; and maintenance and update of the UT fire ant web site. The FARET team will work with UT Agricultural Extension Service agents from counties within the IFA quarantine area, and from areas likely to be affected by IFA, to provide an IFA educational program within their respective counties.

Please contact Karen Vail (kvail@utk.edu) or Pat Parkman (jparkman@utk.edu) for further information.