Fire ants can decrease songbird nest survival

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Fire ants can decrease songbird nest survival

• Andrew J. Campomizzi
• Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
• Texas AM University

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Outline

• Background
• Objective
• Methods
• Results
• Conclusions

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Background
Background on red imported fire ants (Solenopsis
invicta)

• Non-native from South America
• Intense forager

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Background
Red imported fire ants

• Nest predator
• Invasive species
• Management techniques available

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Background
Black-capped vireo

• Reasons for listing
• Habitat loss
• Brown-headed cowbird
• Current management
• Vegetation restoration
• Cowbird removal

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Background

• Current Management

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Background
Black-capped vireo habitat
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Overlap of black-capped vireo breeding range and
fire ant range
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Background
Current situation

• Is management working?
• Yes, No, and Maybe
• Additional management options
• Increase nest success
• Decrease nest predators

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Background
How can we increase nest success?

• Identify nest predators
• Snakes, Fire Ants, Birds, Mammals
• Quantify effect of nest predators
• Can predators be managed?

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Objectives

• Effect of fire ants on nest success
• gt10 reduction important
• Quantify frequency of ants in nests and patterns
• Quantify ant activity near nests

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Methods

• Study sites
• All 11 properties with black-capped vireos
• Monitored nests
• Black-capped vireos
• White-eyed vireos
• Northern cardinals

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Methods
Manipulative experiment

• Treatment nests
• Physical barrier
• Tree Tanglefoot Paste
• Chemical barrier
• Plastic with low toxicity pesticide
• Control nests
• Inert barrier

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Methods
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Methods
Trunk
Nest
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Methods
Observational study

• Frequency of ants in nests
• Vireos and cardinals
• Ant patterns
• Ant activity
• Food lures

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Methods
Analysis

• Compare nest survival
• Treatment versus control
• Percent of nests with ants
• Percent of nests with ant activity

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Results
Nest Success
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Results
Frequency of ants in nests

• 7 of nests had ants (13 of 179)
• No patterns

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Results
Ant activity near nests

• Ground
• 60 had ants foraging (73 of 122)
• In vegetation
• 7 had ants foraging (9 of 122)

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Results
Inter-annual difference in ant activity

• Ants detected near nests
• 2006
• 71
• 2007
• 50

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Results
Conclusions

• Consider fire ant management
• Methods may need to be explored
• Research

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Acknowledgements

• Land owners
• Field technicians
• Co-authors
• Dr. M. L. Morrison, Shannon Farrell, Dr. R. Neal
  Wilkins, Dr. B. M. Drees, Dr. J. Packard
• Funding
• Department of Defense, Environmental Readiness
  Program
• US Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources
  Conservation Service
• Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
• Logistical Support
• Steve Manning, Texas Watershed Management
  Foundation
• Brian Hays, Extension Program Specialist
• Institute or Renewable Natural Resources, Texas
  AM University

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Acknowledgements

• Supplies
• Nix of America
• Tanglefoot
• Images
• Cornell University
• Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
• US Fish and Wildlife Service
• Dr. B. M. Drees
• Claire Curry
• Juan Pablo Assmus

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