11-27-2014, 05:23 AM
It's easy to get literature about fire ants and little fire ants mixed up. Here's a good read on banana pests and diseases in Hawaii: http://hawaiiplantdisease.net/Banana-diseases.php I think ant damage is caused by the insects the ants are tending.
I corresponded with the Hawaii Ant Lab and there is an 'upgrade' to the basic tango bait recipe. Instead of peanut butter, use powdered liver. This is the type/brand they recommended to me. I checked and it is also available from Amazon, though it looks like the same vendor: http://www.ebay.com/itm/ORGANIC-Argentine-Dessicated-BEEF-LIVER-UNDEFATTED-POWDER-ONE-POUND-1-Lb-/121423387114?pt=US_Dietary_Supplements_Nutrition&hash=item1c4565d9ea Use the liver at the same quantity as the peanut butter. Speaking of peanut butter, I asked what type is best and they recommended the cheaper hydrogenated type. So put the 100% natural peanut butter on your food and give the ants the store brand version of Jiff or whatever.
Edited to add, I also asked about oil. If peanut butter is a good bait, then using peanut oil is better than corn oil in the recipe right? Their response: We tested a variety of oils including peanut oil, and found that safflower oil and corn oil were consistently good. Peanut oil is a lot more expensive but not any better. So there you have it.
I corresponded with the Hawaii Ant Lab and there is an 'upgrade' to the basic tango bait recipe. Instead of peanut butter, use powdered liver. This is the type/brand they recommended to me. I checked and it is also available from Amazon, though it looks like the same vendor: http://www.ebay.com/itm/ORGANIC-Argentine-Dessicated-BEEF-LIVER-UNDEFATTED-POWDER-ONE-POUND-1-Lb-/121423387114?pt=US_Dietary_Supplements_Nutrition&hash=item1c4565d9ea Use the liver at the same quantity as the peanut butter. Speaking of peanut butter, I asked what type is best and they recommended the cheaper hydrogenated type. So put the 100% natural peanut butter on your food and give the ants the store brand version of Jiff or whatever.
Edited to add, I also asked about oil. If peanut butter is a good bait, then using peanut oil is better than corn oil in the recipe right? Their response: We tested a variety of oils including peanut oil, and found that safflower oil and corn oil were consistently good. Peanut oil is a lot more expensive but not any better. So there you have it.