Coastal Brown Ants
Coastal Brown Ants
Scientific Name: Pheidole megacephala
How to identify coastal brown ants
Coastal brown ants (Pheidole megacephala) are one of the world's worst invasive ant species.
They are a golden brown to brown coloured ant species with both major and minor worker castes. Most soldiers are in the minor caste and are 1.5-2.5mm long, meanwhile 1% of workers are in the major caste and are 3.5-4.5mm long with enlarged heads, which is why these ants are also known as big-headed ants.
While coastal brown ants can sting, it’s not painful for humans and when crushed they have no obvious odour.
Coastal brown ants mainly consume fats/oils and proteins, for example dead insects and meat particles.
Where are coastal brown ants commonly found?
Coastal brown ants are an urban pest that can usually be found within buildings, in lawns or under paths.
As they dwell in the soil, a tell-tale sign of infestation of coastal brown ants are lines of inter-connected holes and small mounds of excavated soil.
What is the biology and lifecycle of coastal brown ants?
Each queen lays up to 290 eggs per month. The eggs hatch after two to four weeks and the legless white larvae, which are fed by the workers, pupate about a month later. The adult workers emerge ten to twenty days later.
Why are coastal brown ants considered pests?
Coastal brown ants are largely considered nuisance ants however a queen will often take a selection of workers and establish a new colony nearby, leading to the formation of ‘super-colonies’ where interconnected nests act as a single colony that can occupy many hectares and displace native ant species until they are the only ant species left in the area.
Their excavations can be so extensive that they destabilise paving and cause plants and lawns to dry out due to over-aeration of their roots.
What’s the most effective method for controlling coastal brown ants?
For optimal control of coastal brown ants, use oil-based baits containing the active ingredient Hydramethylnon or Fipronil. Ants will collect these small particles and carry them back to their nests resulting in total control of the colony.
To maximise effectiveness, make sure to widely spread the bait over the infested area as per instructions on the product label. Using hand-held rotary or spinning-disc spreaders is ideal for even distribution.
Never heap bait around the ant mounds as this increases the risk to non-target organisms and has limited effectiveness in the control of coastal brown ants. Do not limit your application to areas of obvious infestation, rather, treat the entire area as infestations exist in lawns and garden beds and the ants can quickly re-invade if only a small area of obvious infestation has been treated.
Find everything you need for control of coastal brown ants from your local Globe Pest Solutions branch or shop online now.
