Environmental cleanup should be prioritized over physical or chemical control methods in curbing the invasion of black cocoa ants at home or in fields, environment officials said yesterday.
The Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Environment (MOENV) yesterday jointly held a news conference to publicize countermeasures against the proliferation of black cocoa ants.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency Deputy Director-
Photo: Yang Yuan-ting, Taipei Times
General Hsu Jung-pin (徐榮彬) said that black cocoa ants, or dolichoderus thoracicus, are not considered agricultural vermin, as they do not cause damage to crops, despite being a nuisance in farmlands or neighborhoods.
Toxic and Chemical Substances Bureau Director-General Hsieh Yein-rui (謝燕儒) said that ready-for-use toxic baits are already available on the market, but environmental hygiene should be prioritized based on the principle of prevention.
People are also advised to seek professional help from pest control service providers, most of which have shifted to physical control methods — which are safer than chemical approaches — while environmental agents approved by the MOENV should be the last resort, he said.
Agency Deputy Director-General Du Li-hua (杜麗華) said that farm environmental management is crucial, as land used for extensive agriculture or unmanaged farmland are usually covered with fallen leaves, dead branches, bamboo rods or water pipes that are prone to becoming nests of black cocoa ants.
Given that ants gravitate toward sweetness, split fruits should be cut off and branches with sooty mold should also be removed, she said.
There are nine toxic baits applicable to black cocoa ants, with 81 bait products on the market for agricultural workers to use in serious cases, Du said, adding that bait must not be sprayed on crops.
Events would be held in affected areas by the end of next month to educate the public about how to prevent and control black cocoa ants in fields and at home, she added.
National Changhua University of Education biology professor Lin Chung-chi (林宗岐) said that he received reports on proliferating black cocoa ants in central and southern Taiwan about 10 years ago, although the invasive ants entered Taiwan more than two centuries ago.
Research showed that the proliferation is related to a non-native lineage from Vietnam that caused more infestations, he said.
Black cocoa ants are highly mobile and can form colonies with multiple nests, Lin said, adding that a mature “supercolony” could consist of tens of millions of ants.
Although they tend to dwell in bamboo forests or orchards in low-elevation areas in central, southern or eastern Taiwan, the ants have been found to be moving northward and have entered human areas, such as schools, temples and homes, he said.
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