Feature

Dear VNLA Members:

The purpose of this letter is to notify you that the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) will be expanding the Virginia Imported Fire Ant Quarantine (2 VAC 5-315) in late May 2025. The counties of Chesterfield, Lee, Nottoway, Pittsylvania, Prince George, and Surry and the independent cities of Colonial Heights, Danville, Hopewell, and Petersburg will be added to the regulated areas under the Virginia Imported Fire Ant Quarantine.

Survey data gathered by VDACS indicates that imported fire ant populations increased and have become established, despite mound treatments by VDACS staff and its contractor. The inclusion of the listed counties will be necessary to prevent the artificial spread of this insect pest. VDACS is providing industry and impacted stakeholders advanced notice of the expansion so the nursery industry and other impacted stakeholders can prepare for the regulation of regulated articles, which will require inspection, certification and treatments to meet the requirements of the state and federal imported fire ant quarantines. VDACS will provide another notification at the time the quarantine is expanded, at which time VDACS will request that the USDA also expand the Federal Imported Fire Ant Quarantine to include these localities.

Regulated articles which are prohibited from movement outside of the quarantine include:

• Any life stage of imported fire ant,

• Soil, except soil shipped in original containers after commercial preparation,

• Plants with roots with soil attached and rhizomes with soil attached,

• Grass sod,

• Used soil-moving equipment unless free of all non-compacted soil,

• Used farm equipment, unless free of all non-compacted soil,

• Hay and straw stored in direct contact with the ground,

• Honey bee hives stored in direct contact with the ground, and

• Logs and pulpwood with soil attached.

Additional information on the Virginia Imported Fire Ant Quarantine can be found at https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/plant-industry-services-fire-ant-suppressioneand-eradication.shtml.

Information on the federal imported fire ant quarantine can be found at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-pests-diseases/ifa.

To begin the process to establish a compliance agreement with VDACS to facilitate the movement of regulated articles, please contact complianceagreements@vdacs.virginia.gov.

Please reference the provided map identifying the localities that will be included in the Virginia Imported Fire Ant Quarantine in late May 2025.

Please contact me at (804) 786-5525 or David.Gianino@vdacs.virginia.gov if there is any other information that you require.

Sincerely,

David Gianino

Program Manager

Office of Plant Industry Services

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Expansion of IFA Quarantine for 2025