In-service Training for Extension County Agents

221-A Ant Identification and Management Strategies
Date:   June 24, 2010
Location:   Sandhill REC, Lake House
Time:   8:45 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Instructor:  Eric Benson, Pat Zungoli, Davis
Phone:  864-656-5048
Email:   ebenson@clemson.edu

Course Description:
An intensive one-day workshop on pest ants will be conducted at the Sandhill Research and Education Center in Columbia, SC for County Extension Agents. The biology, behavior and control measures for the most common pest ants in South Carolina will be covered. Agents will learn key morphological and behavioral characteristics of important ants for proper identification. Agents will also learn about the development of emerging pest ants in the state, including the Asian needle ant, rover ants and white-footed ants. Recommended control measures will be research-based and will include some of our lab's most recent research findings on ant control for a variety of important species. Control measures will follow IPM principles and focus on non-chemical and chemical strategies to manage pest species while avoiding killing important non-pest species in the environment.

Participants will learn to use field guides and keys to identify ants, will learn the key characters for the most common pest ants in SC, will be tested during the workshop on their ability to identify unmarked ants using the resources provided and their new knowledge, and will learn the latest control strategies for common pest ants in SC.

Some travel will be available for agents including a box lunch.