Source:  NCDA&CS, 1/20/21

When people think of “dangerous invasive pests,” fire ants might not necessarily come to mind.

While many people view fire ants as a ubiquitous part of life, the pests have actually only been in North Carolina since the 1950’s, after being imported to the United States in the early 20th century. Since first being detected in Brunswick County in 1957, the ants, known formally as Red Imported Fire Ants, have spread throughout the state and are now found in 77 counties.

The ants are nearly impossible to eradicate said Whitney Swink, State Regulatory Entomologist. This is due to a combination of factors; the ants breed remarkably fast and can out-compete other ant species around them, and they have proven adaptable to all kinds of changes in their environment.

“They are really good at adapting to disturbed areas. Construction, for example, new neighborhoods coming in with a bunch of equipment. That is, for lack of a better word, candy for fire ants,” Swink said. “Disturbed areas make is much easier for them to get into the ground, likely because the soil is getting loosened up which eliminates some of the work they would have to do to burrow underground.”

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