Why is chemical intervention, such as spraying with fipronil, the mainstay management technique on mainland Australia rather than biological control?
Answer
The ants feed on a dozen or more different honeydew-producing insects, not just one primary source.
The indirect biological control method used on Christmas Island (attacking the primary scale insect) is less viable on the mainland because the ants utilize a diverse diet of over a dozen different honeydew-producing insects, making comprehensive starvation tactics impractical.
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