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Imported Fire Ants in Tennessee

Introduction

Fire ant mound in pastureThe red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, the black imported fire ant, Solenopsis richteri Forel, and their hybrid are nuisance insects and their stings can cause serious medical problems. Imported fire ants interfere with outdoor activities and harm wildlife throughout the southern United States. Ant mounds are unsightly and may reduce land values. In some cases, imported fire ants are considered to be beneficial because they prey upon other arthropod pests. In urban areas, fire ants prey on flea larvae, chinch bugs, cockroach eggs, ticks and other pests. In many infested areas, the problems outweigh the benefits and controlling fire ants is highly desirable. However, eradication of this species is not currently feasible (see History and Control Efforts). When deciding whether or not to control fire ants, one must weigh the benefits of fire ant control against the cost and environmental impact of control methods. Consideration of biological control of fire ants may not be compatible with some types of insecticide use. Insecticides are not always 100 percent effective, nor are most approved for use everywhere that ants occur. Insecticides are also expensive and potentially hazardous to the environment and other animals. Chemicals provide only temporary control of fire ants and must be reapplied periodically. Where applicable, you should select programs (for urban or agricultural areas) that use a combination of non-chemical and chemical methods that are effective, economical and least harmful to the environment.

 

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, is a systems approach to managing insect, mite, disease and weed pests. It uses a combination of the most compatible and ecologically sound pest suppression tactics to keep pest populations below levels that cause problems. IPM uses cultural, biological and chemical methods. This bulletin describes site-specific, goal-oriented management programs for urban sites where fire ants occur. The goal of IPM is to prevent the problems caused by unacceptably large numbers of fire ants, rather than eliminating all ants from the ecosystem.

 

USDA Quarantine Program

Because fire ants are easily transported in nursery stock and soil, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA, APHIS) developed a quarantine program for this pest in the 1950s. The USDA Imported Fire Ant Quarantine program is administered by state regulatory agencies ( Tennessee Department of Agriculture). The purpose of the quarantine program is to minimize the spread of imported fire ants by requiring proper inspection and treatment of all nursery stock, turfgrass, hay and other articles shipped out of quarantined areas (Fig. 1). Inspectors also survey non-quarantined counties for fire ants and occasionally treat small, isolated infestations. The public should do its part to avoid spreading the ants by not transporting or purchasing fire ant infested articles.
Mound by mailbox


Figure 1. National quarantine map (USDA APHIS PPQ)


Information on Tennesse's imported fire ant quarantine can be found in the Quarantine Section.

 
UT Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology

2431 Joe Johnson Drive
205 Ellington Plant Sci. Bldg.
Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-4560

Phone: 865-974-7135
Fax: 865-974-8868

Experiment Station, Extension Service, College of Vet Medicine, College of Agriculture, Institute of Agriculture