Protect nests from ants

Overall effectiveness category Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)
Number of studies: 1
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

45%
Certainty

17%
Harms

not assessed

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

Several ant species including the red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta, the big-headed ant Pheidole megacephala and yellow crazy ants Anoplolepis gracilipes have been introduced across the world and have often become invasive. Whilst too small to damage most adult birds, they can have severe impacts on chicks. Due to their huge numbers and adaptability eradication is rarely an option (although see ‘Control invasive ants on islands’). Therefore preventing them from accessing nests may be the best intervention.

Study locations

Key messages

A randomised, replicated and controlled study from the USA found higher fledging success from white-eyed vireo Vireo griseus nests protected from ants with a physical barrier and a chemical repellent, compared to control nests.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A randomised, replicated and controlled study in March-July 2006-7 in a grassland/oak-juniper woodland mosaic in Texas, USA (Campomizzi et al. 2009) found that 18 white-eyed vireo Vireo griseus nests, protected from red imported fire ants Solenopsis invicta with a physical barrier and a chemical repellent, had significantly higher fledging success than 26 unprotected nests (31% vs. 10%). The same effect was seen in 13 experimental and 14 control black-capped vireo V. atricapilla nests, but this difference (13% vs. 7%) was non-significant. The physical barrier was Tanglefoot – a gum resin that traps crawling insects, applied to the branch >25 cm from each nest; the repellent was Arinix™ spiral wrap – a permethrin releasing plastic wrapped around the branch on top of the Tanglefoot.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Campomizzi A.J., Morrison M.L., Farrell S.L., Wilkins R.N., Drees B.M. & Packard J.M. (2009) Red imported fire ants can decrease songbird nest survival. The Condor, 111, 534-537.

Please cite as:

Williams, D.R., Child, M.F., Dicks, L.V., Ockendon, N., Pople, R.G., Showler, D.A., Walsh, J.C., zu Ermgassen, E.K.H.J. & Sutherland, W.J. (2020) Bird Conservation. Pages 137-281 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

All the journals searched for all synopses

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Bird Conservation

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Actions	Effectiveness	Studies	Category
Physically protect nests with individual exclosures/barriers or provide shelters for chicks of waders Action Link	Likely to be beneficial	12	Synopsis Link
Use naphthalene to deter mammalian predators Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	1	Synopsis Link
Physically protect nests with individual exclosures/barriers or provide shelters for chicks of ground nesting seabirds Action Link	Likely to be beneficial	4	Synopsis Link