Red Imported Fire Ant Update

Do we have Red Imported Fire Ants in Arizona?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has determined that red imported fire ants are an established pest in 13 states: Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and California.

How do they live?

Red imported fire ants live and do most of their foraging for food in underground tunnels. A nest consists of a network of tunnels and chambers that occupy a vertical column 12-18" in diameter and 36" deep.

Nests are generally built in sunny, open areas such as lawns, golf courses, pastures, cultivated fields and meadows. The ants also may be found around trees or stumps, under pavement and buildings and occasionally indoor. Electrical equipment and utility houses may serve as fire ant nest sites, sometimes resulting in short circuits.

New colonies do not make conspicuous mounds for several months. Once a colony is established, a single queen can lay more than 2,000 eggs per day.

Why are they dangerous?

The red imported fire ant is notorious for their painful sting that results in a pustule and intense itching which can persist for 10 days. Some people are allergic to the sting and in some cases, fire ant stings can result in death.

How much does it cost to control them?

Fire ant control is expensive. In Texas alone, officials estimate more than $300 million is spent on fire ants. Another $90 million is spent in Texas’ urban areas each year fighting fire ants. 

What are you doing in Arizona to combat Red Imported Fire Ants?

During surveys for red imported fire ant (RIFA) in calendar year 2004, Plant Services Division staff surveyed 265 high-risk sites (nurseries, parks, truck stops, etc.), placed 48,636 bait traps and collected 6,963 ant samples. All samples were NEGATIVE for RIFA again this past year. This information goes along way to defending the State’s free-from status, and recognizes the continued effectiveness of the pest exclusion system employed by the department and the sustained efforts of the nursery industry to comply with quarantine guidelines and mitigation measures.

In addition, laboratory scientists provide training to field personnel, train and support the use of digital imaging systems at the ports of entry including confirmation of suspected RIFA samples, and provide official identification services to PSD regulatory officials.