Decapitating flies will not run out of fire ants for two reasons: (1) flies never parasitize more than 2-3% of all worker ants in a colony, and (2) flies will not completely eradicate fire ants from an area. We hope they will reduce the number of fire ant colonies per acre and thereby reduce the need for insecticide treatments. The phorid fly release project is one of many tools to reduce the ability of the fire ant to spread and reinfest desirable areas. See also "FAQ #1084: Will decapitating flies sting or bite? Are decapitating flies harmful?" and FAQ #855: "What can we expect from the decapitating (phorid) flies?"
These resources are brought to you by the Cooperative Extension System and your Local Institution
Comments
Subscribe to this page's comments
Post a comment about this topic