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Introduction
The
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.
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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.
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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. |
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Figure 1. National quarantine map (USDA APHIS PPQ)
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Information on Tennesse's imported fire ant
quarantine can be found in the Quarantine Section.
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