Olfactory response of S. invicta to all five components of the essential balm was confirmed. Each component showed repellency against S. invicta workers in the field. However, only eugenol significantly suppressed both foraging and particle-covering behavior within 24 h. The repellent effect of eugenol lasted much longer than the other four components. Particle-covering behavior has been largely ignored in studying fire ant repellants. Our study demonstrated that it is necessary to consider such behaviors in ant repellent bioassays in the future. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.
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