Simple Methods to Kill Ants inside Small Containers

Commerce of live ants has increased around the world with potential negative consequences. Field-collected colonies are shipped in small plastic or glass containers, and ant colonies moved illegally need to be confiscated and killed by regulatory authorities. We obtained 100% mortality of field-collected worker ants of seven genera immersed in 70% isopropyl alcohol for 60 minutes, in 10% sodium hypochlorite (Clorox) solution for 8 hours or placing them at -11 to -28 degrees C for 8 hours in the freezer of a refrigerator. Exposing worker ants to 20 seconds under microwave energy killed 100% in only six of the seven ant genera. Seventy-five percent of Solenopsis invicta Buren workers survived microwave treatment.