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USA Response Timeline
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| Fire ants arrive in USA - spread rapidly in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, 1930 Florida and Louisiana | |
| 1958 Federal Quarantine enacted to try to prevent spread. Movement of soils, hay, potted plants restricted. Still in force today. | |
| 1960s Eradication programme using heptachlor and mirex baits | |
| 1970s Heptachlor and mirex banned due to impact on other organisms in the environment | |
| Spread continued into Arkansas, Oklahoma, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Puerto Rico | |
| 1990s Biological control research into parasitic flies, ants and other organisms IPM (Integrated Pest Management) tactics (see next column) | |
IPM (Integrated Pest Management)
Non chemical control of fire ants
- boiling water to mounds - eliminates 60% of mounds - retreatment required - cumbersome in field.
- mechanical disburbance - dig up mounds - quicly rebuilt.
- biological control - possible bio-control agents include bacteria, viruses, fungi - not proven effective to date
- ant proofing - silicon sealers effective in buildings
- public education - to avoid infected areas eg parks - to treat stings
Chemical control of fire ants
- individual mound
treatment - effective, time consuming, can miss some mounds
drench mounds - pour insecticides in
inject mounds - using compressed air sprayer
baits - sprinkle on and near mound
dust mounds
fumigate mounds
- broadcast treatment of granular insecticides - risk to non-target species
- spot treatment in a structure - inject insecticide
Impacts
of Fire Ants on the USA
| Infestation of the USA | A
Case Study from the USA | The USA Response