RESEARCH
Red imported fire ant. Eli Sarnat.
USDA APHIS PPQ
NC IMPORTED
FIRE ANT Quarantine Expanding in 2022
mported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta, S. richteri and hybrids; IFA) are a nuisance and health concern to humans, livestock and wildlife, due to their painful sting and ability to damage crops and agricultural equipment. First detected in the United States in Alabama in the early 1900s, IFA appeared in North Carolina for the first time in 1957, in Brunswick County. Since their arrival, IFA have spread throughout most of the southeastern U.S., including most of North Carolina, and 14 states are now partially or entirely quarantined for IFA on the federal level. Portions or entire areas By Whitney Swink State Regulatory Entomologist of 77 of North Carolina’s 100 counties are considered infested with IFA and North Carolina Department are under quarantine for this pest, with two more partial counties and the of Agriculture & Consumer remainder of Granville County to be added to the quarantine list in 2022. Services (NCDA&CS) 26 NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES || SUMMER 2021
