Which life state of ants should be controlled?

• A. Eggs
• B. Larvae
• C. Pupae
• D. Do not need to be controlled

Answer: (D)

Ant control on turf focuses on the colony as a whole rather than single life stages. Eggs, larvae, and pupae stay inside the nest and are hard to reach with targeted treatments, so effective control relies on methods that disrupt or eliminate the entire colony—often through baits or nest-reaching treatments that worker ants carry back and that reach the queen and other life stages indirectly. When the colony is removed or suppressed, all life stages cannot be maintained, so no one particular stage needs to be singled out for control. This is why the best answer reflects not targeting a specific life stage and instead aiming for colony-level management.