Ensystex has announced the introduction of ‘HYMENOPTHOR™ ULTRA Granular Ant and Cockroach Bait’, a new generation bait technology containing 0.1 g/Kg fipronil.
Regional Director Steve Broadbent said, “This is a granular bait that has been uniquely formulated using our Advanced Bait Technology™ to produce a complex blend of proteins, oils and sugars that is targeted to eliminate the widest range of ant species, as well as cockroaches.

This is the first professional product of this nature that targets both ants and all species of cockroaches. One of the ‘secrets’ to the efficacy of HYMENOPTHOR ULTRA is Liquid Oil Phase Release™ technology that ensures uptake of the fipronil, and produces results equal to, or better than, those of gel baits for cockroaches - including nymphal stages.”

Mr Broadbent further advised, “As a granular bait, efficacy is enhanced by the ant’s feeding behaviour. Worker ants are generally liquid feeders and cannot ingest solid baits. So they use their legs and mouthparts to physically carry the solid bait granules back to the nest for the larvae to digest and feed to the colony.

Therefore the bait is not diluted when it reaches the nest. In contrast, with liquid or gel baits, the ants ingest the bait and then pass it through to nest mates by trophallaxis, which means there is some dilution of the toxicant as it is passed from one ant to the next. More importantly though, with the Liquid Oil Phase Release™ technology, the workers are also able to feed directly on the HYMENOPTHOR ULTRA and receive a toxic dose of the active, as well as feeding on the pre-digested liquid from the larvae.”

Mr Broadbent continued by explaining, “The Viral Feed Through Effect™ of fipronil further ensures its rapid spread throughout ant colonies. Since fipronil is a quick acting insecticide, it was important to use it at a low rate to ensure it is spread throughout the entire colony.

And the aforementioned composite of proteins, sugars and oils provided by the Advanced Bait Technology™ is important since different ant species have different feeding preferences. Species like the white-footed house ant (Technomyrmex albipes) and the black ant (Ochetellus glaber) are sugar-feeders, other species such as coastal brown ants (Pheidole megacephala) are primarily oil-feeders and still others, such as the meat ants (Iridomyrmex spp), are primarily protein feeders.

By developing this range of proteins, sugars and oils, and combining it with Liquid Oil Phase Release, we are able to target the widest range of ants possible, and hence also the high palatability for cockroaches. It also means that in the spring and summer months, when ants are looking for proteins, HYMENOPTHOR ULTRA provides the solution.”

There is information in the scientific literature that shows cockroaches have an exceptionally high preference for solid based foods, with bread ranking higher than most cockroach gels as a preferred food. This perhaps explains the high preference we experienced in our trials, with the cockroaches readily and aggressively feeding on the breakfast cereal base used in HYMENOPTHOR ULTRA.

Through our extensive trials, we optimised the product at 0.1 g/Kg fipronil. What surprised us most was, when we commenced the trials with cockroaches, results and speed of kill were better than those achieved with gel cockroach baits, including those containing up to 5x as much fipronil.  Given our subsequent review of the scientific literature, we believe this is a consequence of both the Liquid Oil Phase Release technology, which ensures the fipronil is readily digested by the insects, and the cockroaches’ preference for a solid cereal based diet, so they eat more of the granular bait.”

Mr Broadbent concluded that, “Results were particularly good when targeting the larger Periplaneta spp cockroaches, especially the nymphal stages, the most difficult life-stage to control. We envisage that this will open up new opportunities for professional pest managers when dealing with these troublesome species in areas such as grease traps, sewers and around manholes. These areas are difficult to treat with liquid chemicals, which break down more rapidly in such harsh environments. Sprinkling bait granules in these areas is a new management option for fast control.”
 
Fig 1: Data for the control of all life stages of the German cockroach
 
Fig 2: Data for the control of the nymphal stages of American cockroaches