Are fire ants causing the turkey decline? | #166

We explore the myths surrounding fire ants and their negative impacts on nests, hens, and poults. Resources: Allen, C. R., et al. (2004). Red imported fire ant impacts on wildlife: a decade of research. The American Midland Naturalist, 152(1), 88-103. Brennan, L. A. (1993). Fire ants and northern bobwhites: a real problem or a red herring?. Wildlife Society Bulletin (1973-2006), 21(3), 351-355. Jones, J. C., Hodges, B. N., Tegt, J., & Butler, A. B. (2015). INVASIVE NON‐NATIVE SPECIES AND WILD TURKEY IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 2015, 89-103. Martin, J. A., et al. (2015). Incubation and predation ecology of Wild Turkey nests: A cautionary case study regarding video camera surveillance. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 2015, 295-301. t Twedt, D. J., Wilson, R. R., Henne‐Kerr, J. L., & Grosshuesch, D. A. (2002). Avian response to bottomland hardwood reforestation: the first 10 years. Restoration Ecology, 10(4), 645-655. Wojcik, D. P., et al. (2001). Red imported fire ants: impact on biodiversity. Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab Don't miss out on a chance to win a custom Benelli Super Black Eagle 3! This 28-gauge shotgun features a 28' barrel, 3" chamber, and is exclusively dipped in Mossy Oak Full Foliage not available to the public. Enter the online raffle below for a shot at owning this one-of-a-kind gun! This is literally a one-of-one collectable item. https://e.givesmart.com/events/Nqy/ We've launched our second online wild turkey course! Enroll in Wild Turkey Manager: Biology, History & Habitat to learn about the principal biology, mating, behavior, food selection, human dimensions, hunter interactions, and historical context of wild turkeys. This course is accredited by the Society of American Foresters as a Category 2 course worth 7 Continuing Forestry Education credits. Participants can also earn up to 5 CEUs in Category I of The Wildlife Society's Certified Wildlife Biologist Program. Enroll now: https://tinyurl.com/WildTurkeyManagerBio Be sure to check out our first comprehensive online wild turkey course featuring experts across multiple institutions that specialize in habitat management and population management for wild turkeys. Earn up to 20.5 CFE hours! Enroll Now! Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow UF Game Lab @ufgamelab, YouTube Want to help wild turkey conservation? Please take our quick survey to take part in our research! Do you have a topic you'd like us to cover? Leave us a review or send us an email at [e-mail]! Watch these podcasts on YouTube Please help us by taking our (quick) listener survey - Thank you! Check out the DrDisturbance YouTube channel! DrDisturbance YouTube Want to help support the podcast? Our friends at Grounded Brand have an option to donate directly to Wild Turkey Science at checkout. Thank you in advance for your support! Leave a podcast rating for a chance to win free gear! This podcast is made possible by Turkeys for Tomorrow, a grassroots organization dedicated to the wild turkey. To learn more about TFT, go to turkeysfortomorrow.org. Music by Artlist.io Produced & edited by Charlotte Nowak