FLUORIDE ACTION NETWORK PESTICIDE PROJECT

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Fipronil. Pilot program to test insecticide on fire ants at military bases in South Carolina.


from: http://www.clemson.edu/research/reporthome/text2000.htm

Commitment to Growth
2000 Research Report
Clemson University


Clemson University had one of the best years in its history for growth in sponsored research. The University hit a new high in sponsored research funding, earning $69.1 million for fiscal year 1999-2000. That amount represents a 25 percent increase over the previous year's figures.
I attribute this phenomenal increase to the University's renewed commitment to growing its research and graduate education opportunities. The $69.1 million exceeded the University's set target by about 8 percent.
Other research highlights from 1999-2000 fiscal year include the following:

The federal portion of Clemson's research dollars ($51 million) increased by 34 percent compared to the previous year. Nearly three-fourths of all research projects are sponsored by federal agencies such as the National Science Foundation and the U. S. departments of energy, defense, agriculture, and health and human services.

Nearly 1,270 proposals were submitted by faculty the highest in Clemson's history. It exceeds the previous 10 years' annual average by 22 percent.

Total proposals were valued at $223 million again, the highest in Clemson's history. This exceeds the University's target of $160 million by 39 percent. The average proposal value was an all-time high of $177,000.

Aside from the exceptional increase in the numbers outlined above, Clemson University achieved several noteworthy recognitions. Clemson was named TIME magazine's Public College of the Year because of our outstanding research and education contributions in the area of communication. As outlined in this report, the efforts of several faculty and students were nationally recognized. Our Technology Transfer Office also had its best year in acquiring new licensed technologies. Construction also began on a state-of-the-art agricultural biotechnology and molecular biology complex that is being funded by a state bond bill. The complex should be finished in early 2002.
We are very pleased to share our success stories with you. The technology and intellectual capital born in our research projects will not only grow existing business, but will help attract new, hi-tech industries to South Carolina. If you have any questions or comments or if you need additional information, please let me know. Thank you for your interest in Clemson research.

Sincerely,

Y.T. Shah
Chief Research Officer and Senior Vice Provost

...
Pilot Program Fights Fire Ants on Military Bases
While the exact cost of combating fire ants is difficult to pinpoint, South Carolinians spend an estimated $112 million annually on pest control, household repairs, and medical and veterinary care related to fire ant infestation.
A group of scientists from Clemson University, the USDA Agricultural Research Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Defense, and the South Carolina Army and Air National Guards have reported a 96 percent decrease in fire ant populations when a three-pronged attack is substituted for an insecticide-only approach.
The red imported fire ant is a health and economic hazard to the entire state of South Carolina. While the exact cost of combating fire ants is difficult to pinpoint, South Carolinians spend an estimated $112 million annually on pest control, household repairs, and medical and veterinary care related to fire ant infestation, according to Clemson entomologist Mac Horton.
The pilot study began in June 2000 at three South Carolina military facilities: Fort Jackson, McCready Army National Guard Training Center and the McIntire Air National Guard Station. One site, Fort Jackson, was treated with an insecticide and two biological control agents. The second site was treated with the insecticide only, and the third site served as the control standard, receiving no treatment. The sites were monitored to track results of the treatments.
The first evaluation of the sites revealed a 96 percent reduction in the fire ant population at Fort Jackson. The success of this three-pronged approach was significantly better than the 87 percent reduction in the fire ant population observed on the insecticide-only site.

Fipronil, the insecticide used in the study, disrupts the insect's central nervous system, causing hyperexcitation and death. Of the two biological control agents, one is a natural predator a parasitic fly called Pseudacteon tricuspis and the other is a harmful microorganism named Thelohania solenopsae. Both are found in the ants' native South America.
Four months after their introduction at the test site, the flies were found attacking fire ant workers in three different colonies, and the microorganism was found in worker ants collected during the first evaluation from the colonies in which it had been introduced. The microorganism reduces the ability of the queen to lay eggs and causes the colony to die slowly over a period of months.
Although it is too early to determine if the microorganism has spread to other colonies or to fire ants other than the workers, the fact that it was present in inoculated colonies is good news. To be successful, the biological controls must be self-sustaining, much as they are in their native lands.
The next evaluation of the study will occur in the spring of 2001...