ANTS 



183 



C. W. Woodworth says that a very weak solution of 

 arsenic poison such as he has used for the Argentine ant 

 is effective in exterminating common species of ants. The 

 proportions of arsenic and methods of using it are given 

 under the discussion of the Argentine ant. 



THE ARGENTINE ANT 



As a pest, the Argentine ant (Fig. 51) stands in a class 

 by itself. Newell, writing of this ant in 1908, says, " As a 

 household pest, I venture the opinion 

 that this ant has no equal in the 

 United States." Unfortunately, it is 

 not only a household pest, but it has 

 come to be a serious menace to horti- 

 cultural interests because it destroys 

 the buds, blooms, and fruits of certain 

 plants and because it protects and 

 fosters some scale insects that are 

 injurious to certain plants, 



verv 



The queen 

 Argentine ant, en- 

 larged. 



notably sugar cane. Again, in some 

 instances it has actually shown itself FlG 51 

 to be dangerous to human life. 



In all probability this ant was first 

 introduced into the United States through the port of 

 New Orleans b}^ way of the coffee ships or other ships 

 from South American points. The ant is a native of 

 America in Brazil and the Argentine Republic and now 

 infests the southern parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, parts 

 of California and probably Texas. 



This ant builds its nests everywhere, underneath houses, 

 between the walls of houses, in hollow trees, in compost 



