New Zealand Journal of Zoology abstracts
Z00008Received 9 June 2000; accepted 7 September 2000
Comparison of baits containing fipronil and sulfluramid for the control of
Vespula wasps
R. J. HARRIS
Landcare Research
Private Bag 6
Nelson, New Zealand
email: harrisr@landcare.cri.nz
N. D. ETHERIDGE
Department of Conservation
Nelson Lakes National Park
St Arnaud, New Zealand
Abstract Fipronil is a new insecticide being trialed in baits
for control of introduced social wasps (
Vespula spp.). The efficacy of
fipronil was compared with sulfluramid (Finitronreg. wasp bait). In a
laboratory bioassay, fipronil was faster acting and equally as toxic at
concentrations over 1000 times lower than sulfluramid. Doses of 0.2 mg of
fipronil active (0.2 g of bait when used at 0.1%) were sufficient to
reduce colony activity by 90%. Trials in a 300-ha site in beech forest used a
single poison operation, without prefeeding, and bait stations in either a
50 x 50 m or 100 x 50 m grid. Use of fipronil reduced
colony activity within the treated area by 99.7%, whereas sulfluramid had
minimal effect on colony activity. Some foragers reinvaded the treated blocks
after treatment with fipronil, but wasp densities remained below estimated
ecological damage thresholds for vulnerable invertebrates in this habitat.
Baiting in lines resulted in variable control of nearby colonies. Despite the
low doses of fipronil needed to kill colonies, low bait attractiveness may
limit the success of control operations using fipronil in some situations.
Keywords Vespula; wasps; fipronil; sulfluramid; baiting
New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 2001, Vol. 28: 39-48
0301-4223/00/2801-0039 $7.00/0 (c) The Royal Society of New
Zealand 2001
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (721K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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