Effect of weather on infestation of buildings by the invasive Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Hymenoptera : Formicidae)

Authors
Gordon, DM Moses, L Falkovitz-Halpern, M Wong, EH
Citation
Dm. Gordon et al., Effect of weather on infestation of buildings by the invasive Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Hymenoptera : Formicidae), AM MIDL NAT, 146(2), 2001, pp. 321-328
Citations number
14
Categorie Soggetti
Environment/Ecology
Journal title
AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST
ISSN journal
00030031 → ACNP
Volume
146
Issue
2
Year of publication
2001
Pages
321 - 328
Database
ISI
SICI code
0003-0031(200110)146:2<321:EOWOIO>2.0.ZU;2-X
Abstract
Weekly reports of the abundance of the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, i n 69 households for 18 me (1/98-7/99) in the San Francisco Bay Area in nort hern California were compared with weather data. Ant abundance inside homes was highest in cold rainy weather, and there was a second smaller peak of ant abundance in hot dry weather. Pesticide use in the home decreased ant a bundance, from one week to the next, only when ant abundance was extremely high.