Yellow Crazy Ants update 2
768px --> Main objectives In order to complete post-eradication monitoring for the year 2025, operations were carried out on the motus of Tiaraunu and Onetahi, with monitoring having already been carried out on Aie and Horoatera earlier in the year. Two mon.
Main objectives
In order to complete post-eradication monitoring for the year 2025, operations were carried out on the motus of Tiaraunu and Onetahi, with monitoring having already been carried out on Aie and Horoatera earlier in the year.
Two monitoring missions were conducted in 2025. The first took place from October 27 to November 3, with Solène Fabre, scientific coordinator of the Tetiaroa Society, accompanied by Anaïs Fabre, who came as a volunteer. The second took place from November 12 to 19, with Solène Fabre accompanied by Claire Rocuet, a former volunteer who had already been involved in similar fieldwork.
Summary of Field Activities
The monitoring protocol consisted of placing vials containing cotton balls soaked in sugar solution every 20 meters in previously infested areas. These devices, designed to attract ants, were left in place for about two hours before being checked. The surveys were supplemented by updated mapping to detect any residual presence or signs of recolonization by the yellow crazy ant.
Field conditions occasionally complicated the monitoring process, particularly due to fallen palm fronds and coconuts making some access routes difficult, as well as unfavorable weather conditions. Rainfall and soil moisture slowed down operations, as the protocol ideally requires a rain-free period of at least two hours and relatively dry soil to ensure the effectiveness of observations.
These monitoring operations are particularly tedious and time-consuming due to the density of the network, access constraints, and weather conditions. In this context, the occasional use of volunteers who are already familiar with the terrain ensures the continuity and quality of monitoring, while optimizing the human resources mobilized.
Preliminary Results
Surveys conducted during the two missions revealed no detection of yellow crazy ants on the motus of Tiaraunu and Onetahi, confirming the absence of recolonization on these sites at the end of the 2025 annual monitoring period.
Perspectives
Although the results obtained in 2025 are encouraging, vigilance remains essential. Post-eradication monitoring will continue in 2026 and 2027, in accordance with the established protocol, with annual checks of previously infested motus.
This monitoring system, which has already enabled the rapid identification of residual outbreaks and the initiation of corrective treatments in the past, remains essential to ensure the sustainability of eradication efforts on the Tetiaroa atoll.