Tj. Slowik et al., RED IMPORTED FIRE ANT (HYMENOPTERA, FORMICIDAE) RESPONSE TO CURRENT AND CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL OF ACTIVE ELECTRICAL-EQUIPMENT, Journal of economic entomology, 89(2), 1996, pp. 347-352
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.