Argentine ant ( Linepithema humile , Mayr) eradication efforts on San Clemente Island, California, USA

The Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr), is a highly invasive ant species that has spread into urban, agricultural, and natural areas worldwide. The pervasive expansion of this species is detrimental both ecologically and economically, resulting in the allocation of vast amounts of resources for control. New efforts are underway to control the Argentine ant in ecologically sensitive habitats, such as those on the California Channel Islands. We tested the efficacy of thiamethoxam liquid bait at a concentration of 6 ppm on San Clemente Island, California, where the Argentine ant has spread into natural areas hosting protected endemic species. Applied by hand, helicopter, and ATV hygroscopic polyacrylamide beads were used as a bait matrix to deliver the liquid bait (thiamethoxam and sucrose) for Argentine ant infestations at 5 sites (totaling 177 ha) on San Clemente Island. Treatments reduced the number of monitoring points at which the Argentine ant was detected 1 year posttreatment (17.91% vs. 3.65%), suggesting that these methods are a promising conservation tool. Continued monitoring to detect remaining infestations will be necessary for eventual eradication of the Argentine ant from San Clemente Island.