RED IMPORTED FIRE ANT (HYMENOPTERA, FORMICIDAE) RESPONSE TO CURRENT AND CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL OF ACTIVE ELECTRICAL-EQUIPMENT

Electric fields generated by active electrical equipment do not attrac t the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, but rather, ant s aggregate near circuits after contact with the bare, bridgeable wire s or contact points. This contact results in current flow through the bodies of ants causing derangement, incapacitation, and death, all of which lead to peculiar behaviors, including release of chemicals, that excite ants and attract ants to the site. Ant response to strong elec tric fields of 197, 120, and 30 V/mm was negated by spacing and sheath ing circuit contacts, thereby preventing ant access to active conducti ve material. Thresholds for ant response to electricity were approxima te to 5.0 V and 0.83 mA.