EVALUATION OF ALPHA-CYPERMETHRIN-TREATED PROPRIETARY TRUNK BARRIERS FOR THE EXCLUSION OF IRIDOMYRMEX SPP (HYMENOPTERA, FORMICIDAE) FROM YOUNG CITRUS TREES

Proprietary trunk barriers (AntCaps(TM)) were evaluated as a means of excluding Iridomyrmex spp. and other ants from the canopies of young o range trees. Untreated AntCaps(TM) were relatively ineffective, reduci ng ant movements along trunks by 17% at one site and having no positiv e effect at the second site over a 7 month period. alpha-Cypermethrin- treated Antcaps(TM) effectively reduced ant foraging in tree canopies over the same period. Trunk movements were reduced by 92 and 84% at th e two sites despite a mean 'failure' rate of 21% across all sampling d ays. Estimates of overall efficacy based on beating samples correlated well with trunk counts for the alpha-Cypermethrin-treated barriers. T he correlation between efficacy estimates for the untreated barriers w as poor, as was the overall correlation between assessment methods at the individual sample level.