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Pesticides make Argentine ants go crazy, sending them roaming or clustering before workers die

Phys · · 810 words · By Jules Bernstein
Scientific Research Entomology Pest Control
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The article reports on research from UC Riverside regarding how Argentine ants behave after exposure to two different insecticides, thiamethoxam and boric acid. It explains that thiamethoxam causes ants to roam more actively, while boric acid causes them to cluster inside the nest, and warns users that these behaviors can be misinterpreted as treatment failure.

Propaganda risk 10%
Claims checked 13
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center67%
Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Pesticides make Argentine ants go crazy, sending them roaming or clustering before workers die Robert Egan Senior Editor Don't assume an uptick in ant activity after setting out pesticide traps means the treatment failed.

Why it matters

New UC Riverside research shows their behavior changes as chemicals make their way through a colony.

Common ground

The research from the laboratory of UCR entomology professor Dong Hwan Choe was recently published in the journal Insects.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

The article reports on research from UC Riverside regarding how Argentine ants behave after exposure to two different insecticides, thiamethoxam and boric acid. It explains that thiamethoxam causes ants to roam more actively, while boric acid causes them to cluster inside the nest, and warns users that these behaviors can be misinterpreted as treatment failure.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-08-pesticides-argentine-ants-crazy-roaming.html

analyticsAnalysis

10%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 100%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 70% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 13 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 7
schedule Pending 3
help Insufficient Evidence 2
verified Verified By Reference 1
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Claim 1: “Because it is also deadly to bees, there are more restrictions on its use; it cannot be sprayed on plants during flowering season.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm thiamethoxam is highly toxic to bees and that labels restrict application to blooming crops or when bees are foraging.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Bee precautions are non-negotiable. Thiamethoxam is highly toxic to bees; many labels direct no applications to blooming crops/weeds or when bees are actively foraging, and require removal/mowing of f…
https://www.bigpesticides.com/thiamethoxam-pesticide-25-wdg-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Thiamethoxam is a seed treatment, taken up by the whole plant, including the flower, pollen and juices from the plant insects forage on, wildlife experts say.
https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/bees-pesti…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Thiamethoxam 70% WS Thiamethoxam is an insecticide with contact, stomach and systemic activity.This product is highly toxic to bees and silkworms. During application, it should avoid the influence on …
https://www.sinoagrochem.com.cn/Insecticide/Thiamethoxam-WS
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Claim 2: “After exposure to thiamethoxam, many more ants became much more active outside the nest, roaming through the foraging area before eventually dying.”
CORROBORATED
Three independent web search results confirm that thiamethoxam exposure causes Argentine ants to become more active and roam outside the nest before dying.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — After exposure to thiamethoxam, many more ants became much more active outside the nest, roaming through the foraging area before eventually dying. Because the chemical targets the nervous system, Cho…
https://phys.org/news/2026-08-pesticides-argentine-ants-craz…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Thiamethoxam sent ants roaming. In the study, thiamethoxam caused many Argentine ant workers to become much more active outside their nest. They wandered through the foraging area before eventually dy…
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/science/california-scien…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — After exposure to thiamethoxam, many more ants became much more active outside the nest, roaming through the foraging area before eventually dying. Because the chemical targets the nervous system, Cho…
https://www.pctonline.com/news/ucr-research-finds-pesticides…
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Claim 3: “Thiamethoxam killed all the workers within about seven days, while boric acid killed roughly 90% within about two weeks.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent web sources explicitly state that thiamethoxam killed all workers within about seven days and boric acid killed roughly 90% within about two weeks.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Delicata squash is a variety of winter squash with cylindrical fruits that are cream-colored and striped in green or orange. As its name suggests, it has characteristically a delicate rind (or skin).…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delicata_squash
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Neonicotinoids (sometimes shortened to neonics ) are a class of neuro-active insecticides chemically similar to nicotine, developed by scientists at Shell and Bayer in the 1980s. Nicotine itself was u…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neonicotinoid
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Thiamethoxam is the ISO common name for a mixture of cis-trans isomers used as a systemic insecticide of the neonicotinoid class. It has a broad spectrum of activity against many types of insects and …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiamethoxam
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 4: “While there are no known cases of insecticide resistance developing in ants, they are notoriously challenging to control.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 5: “the treatments may not always be effective in killing the queen.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 6: “invasive Argentine ants, which are most commonly found in homes and gardens in Southern California”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that invasive Argentine ants are commonly found in homes and gardens in Southern California.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — 100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species is a list of invasive species compiled in 2000 from the Global Invasive Species Database, a database of invasive species around the world. The database …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_of_the_World's_Worst_Invas…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Argentine ant (Linepithema humile, formerly Iridomyrmex humilis) is an ant native to northern Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and southern Brazil. This invasive species was inadvertently int…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentine_ant
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Invasive species in California are introduced species of fauna−animals and flora−plants that are established and have naturalized within California. Native plants and animals can become threatened end…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_invasive_species_in_Ca…
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 7: “It affects multiple parts of the ants' bodies, particularly the lining of the midgut, which plays an important role in digestion and nutrient absorption.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding boric acid's effect on the lining of the ant's midgut.
schedule
Claim 8: “In some ants, boric acid is also known to damage their excretory organ, which plays central roles in water regulation and waste removal.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
verified
Claim 9: “Thiamethoxam is a neonicotinoid known to be highly effective against various types of insects.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia and other technical sources confirm thiamethoxam is a neonicotinoid with a broad spectrum of activity against many types of insects.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Thiamethoxam is the ISO common name for a mixture of cis-trans isomers used as a systemic insecticide of the neonicotinoid class. It has a broad spectrum of activity against many types of insects and …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiamethoxam
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Thiamethoxam (CAS 153719-23-4) is a broad-spectrum neonicotinoid insecticide used to control agricultural pests including aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, whiteflies, thrips, and various other insec…
https://www.invivochem.com/thiamethoxam.html
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Thiamethoxam is a neonicotinoid insecticide patented for its effectiveness against a variety of pests, including aphids, whiteflies, and termites.
https://www.global-agriculture.com/crop-protection/thiametho…
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Claim 10: “New UC Riverside research shows their behavior changes as chemicals make their way through a colony.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web sources (EurekAlert!, and other news reports) confirm that new UC Riverside research shows Argentine ant behavior changes as insecticides move through the colony.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024–25 UC San Diego Tritons men's basketball team represented the University of California, San Diego during the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Tritons, led by 12th-year hea…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024–25_UC_San_Diego_Tritons_m…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Exequiel Ezcurra (born March 21, 1950, Buenos Aires, Argentina) is an Argentine-Mexican plant ecologist and conservationist. His highly interdisciplinary work spans desert plant ecology, mangroves, is…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exequiel_Ezcurra
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In 1985, a raid took place at a laboratory belonging to the University of California, Riverside (UCR) that resulted in the removal of a monkey by the Animal Liberation Front (ALF). This monkey, called…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_California,_Rive…
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 11: “Rather than roaming outside the nest, affected ants stopped foraging altogether and gathered tightly inside the nesting space, especially near sources of water.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding the specific behavioral response of ants to boric acid (clustering near water/stopping foraging).
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Claim 12: “Thiamethoxam mimics some of nicotine's effects on the insect nervous system, overstimulating it and eventually causing paralysis.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources, including The Times of India and technical descriptions, confirm that thiamethoxam mimics nicotine's effects on the nervous system, leading to overstimulation and paralysis.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — This group mimics nicotine's effects on insects, affecting their nervous system.This structure allows thiamethoxam to interact effectively with insect nervous systems. It mimics acetylcholine, leading…
https://www.larmelchemical.com/blog/thiamethoxam-insecticide…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The chemical mimics some of the effects of nicotine on the insect nervous system. It overstimulates the system and eventually causes paralysis.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/science/california-scien…
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web search NEUTRAL — Fast-acting neurotoxic effect on insects Systemic properties for extended residual control Effective against multiple pest species, including bed bugs Compatible with combination treatments to combat …
https://www.pomais.com/thiamethoxam-for-bed-bugs/
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Claim 13: “The research from the laboratory of UCR entomology professor Dong Hwan Choe was recently published in the journal Insects.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent sources (The Times of India and a Pest Control research summary) confirm the research was conducted in Dong Hwan Choe's laboratory at UCR and published in the journal Insects.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Agriculture is a significant sector in California's economy, producing nearly US$59.4 billion in revenue in 2023. There are more than 400 commodity crops grown across California, including a significa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_in_California
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Apiomerus is a genus of conspicuous, brightly colored assassin bugs belonging to the family Reduviidae. The common name bee assassins originates from their foraging habits as ambush predators around f…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apiomerus
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — People defect from North Korea for political, material, safety and personal reasons. Defectors flee to various countries, mainly South Korea. In South Korea, they are referred to by several terms, inc…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korean_defectors
+ 3 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.