2007 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416) Maintain low fire ant populations with reduced need for bait toxicants by using available self-sustaining fire ant biological control agents in conjunction with bait toxicants. 1b.Approach (from AD-416) 1. Locate and define suitable fire ant infested areas; 2. Assess and monitor the economic and environmental impact associated with fire ants and the benefits of fire ant control in the selected environments of the area-wide program; 3. Eliminate fire ant populations in the selected sites using commerically available baits to obtain at least 90% control; 4. Inoculate treatment periphery with the microsporidian pathogen, Thelohania solenopsae and monitor the success; 5. Inoculate the treatment periphery with phorid fly parasites, Pseudacteon spp., and monitor the success; 6. Develop S. invicta bait toxicant techniques that are more species-specific and/or are less labor intensive; 7. Develop phorid fly detection trap system using fire ant semiochemicals; and 8. Develop website, video demonstrations, and other educational/technology transfer activities to disseminate the results of the research effort and provide an open forum for collaborators, customers, partners, and others interested in area-wide management of fire ants. 3.Progress Report This report documents activities under Specific Cooperative Agreement, 0500-00044-017-07S between ARS and the University of Florida, which develops educational materials and media presentations on activities under the parent project CRIS 0500-00044-017-00D – Area-wide Suppression of Fire Ants in Pastures. Details of the project activities can be found in the report for the parent CRIS. The Area-wide website was updated in January 2007 with new images. Ten unique aspects of the Area-wide program were outlined and transferred into video scripts. Professional videographers and media personnel were recruited to conduct documentary-style interviews with Area-wide cooperators and participants. Seven of the ten interviews were filmed, and final outputs will be five-minute segments discussing accomplishments of the Area-wide Suppression of Fire Ants project. Video images, script, submitted text, and data will serve as a basis for brochure development. Progress on this project was monitored throughout the year by means of email communications, telephone communications, and semi-annual meetings with Area-wide cooperators.