The Argentine Ant as a Household Pest. 5 
day, and from the trees trails are made to near-by houses, where they 
cause considerable annoyance. 
With the advent of warm spring weather the breaking up of the 
_large colonies occurs. This is the time of the year that food is very 
scarce, and at this season the ants are particularly aggressive and 
troublesome in the houses. 
SCATTERED FROM TEXAS TO THE ATLANTIC, WITH 
INFESTATIONS IN CALIFORNIA. 
Introduced years ago, probably on coffee ships landing at New 
Orleans from Brazil, the Argentine ant has been carried about the 
country in foodstuffs, until it now occurs in scattered localities 
throughout the South, the present. northern limit being Nashville, 
Tenn. The farthest infestation in the East is Wilmington, N. C., 
while in the West it is found in several cities of central Texas, 
including Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston. There is also a sepa- 
rate group of infestations in California. 
HOW NEW TERRITORY IS GAINED. 
Inspections indicate that when carried long distances the ants 
were more likely taken through on carload lots of foodstuffs which 
were rushed to their destination than along with smaller consign- 
ments. Arriving with the large shipments, they probably gained a 
foothold in the wholesale districts of such cities as Memphis and 
Atlanta, and from these centers were disseminated with small ship- 
ments to the surrounding towns. 
There is also a normal extension of the territory occupied by the 
Argentine ant. This is 300 to 400 feet per year, and depends on the 
food supply and the abundance of other ants, the Argentine species 
waging a continuous warfare on native ants until the latter are 
entirely killed out. 
-To establish an infestation it should be noted that it is necessary 
for a gravid queen (egg-laying female) to be present. It is quite 
possible that into almost every town and city in the southern States 
there has been introduced at one time or another a number of work- 
ers, but as these are incapable of reproduction a colony has not be- 
come established. 
THE NEST FLOODED, A COLONY MAY FORM A COMPACT 
BALL AND FLOAT AWAY. 
Though the principal method of infesting new teritory is by rail, 
the Argentine ants are occasionally transported by high water. 
They are carried in lumber, rotting trees, uprooted shrubs, fruit, 
156482 °—20—Buli. 1101——2 
