Study Finds 85 Percent of Southern Families Battling Fighting Fire Ants

MONTVALE, N.J. – Throughout the south, parents are more worried about their children being stung by fire ants than they are about bicycle accidents or water-related accidents, a recent survey shows. In fact, in severely infested states, such as Texas and Florida, the number of family members stung is nearly 57 percent. In exasperation, Southerners are soaking them in gasoline, smothering them in grits, and setting them on fire, but still they're not getting rid of the ferocious pests.

In November 2004, Bayer Environmental Science, manufacturer of TopChoice™ granular insecticide, contracted with Matthew Greenwald & Associates of Washington, D.C. to poll 1,000 Southern U.S. adults on their experience with fire ants. Homeowners in 13 states, including Arkansas, Alabama, California, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee were included in the study. Recently, counties in southern California, Oklahoma and Tennessee began facing fire ant pressures and related county quarantines for the first time.

More than one-third of respondents (38 percent) reported resorting to these and other harsh, yet ineffective means to eradicate the fire ants – a fight in which 85 percent of those surveyed say they are actively engaged. Even those who reported using conventional methods of fire ant control such as baits and insecticides said that 65 percent of treatments provided relief for less than three months.

"Fire Ant Focus 2004," the first survey of its type, found that 44 percent of Southern homeowners say at least one family member has been stung in the past year, a significant risk, considering that 10 to 15 percent of people in the general population can experience a severe localized allergic reaction to a sting, and as many as 2 percent may experience a systemic allergic reaction, which in rare cases results in death.

"It's clear that Southerners are desperate for solutions to a recurring problem," said Dr. Nate Royalty, entomologist with Bayer. "In addition to the inconvenience, fire ants pose a significant health threat. They are aggressive and can attack very quickly.”

Royalty suggested that homeowners should contact a professional lawn care or pest management company if they suspect a fire ant problem, making this an add-on service opportunity for many green industry companies. In 2002, on 29 percent of respondents to a Lawn & Landscape Online Poll said they offer fire ant control services, though this number is expected to rise as the pests migrate northward.

Indeed, a separate survey conducted jointly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service Center and the University of Arkansas earlier this year showed that the red imported fire ant (RIFA) is appearing in areas formerly thought too cool for them to survive. The study says regions as far north as Prince George’s County, Md. will experience “certain” fire ant activity that, in time, could pose a serious public health threat.

Results of the study predict that RIFA activity will likely move 50 to 100 miles farther north than in the past, into Oklahoma and Arkansas. Additionally, the pests are will likely continue expanding into Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware in the east and New Mexico, Arizona, California, Oregon, Nevada, and maybe even Washington and Utah in the west. A report published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI) in 2000 indicates fire ants are traveling north and westward at a rate of about 120 miles per year. The report also indicates that fire ants are able to reproduce in areas where temperatures get as low as 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
 
“This migration is an indication that fire ants are more cold tolerant than scientists previously thought,” Royalty says. “We expect fire ant expansion to continue northward and westward as fire ants find more areas to infest.”

Natural fire ant expansion is exacerbated by movement of infested soil. Fire ants can also “hitchhike” on birds or mass together to form a floating ball to ride out floods, which can take them as many as 10 miles away from their original colony. Another migration method is through breeding, which happens 300 to 800 feet in the air. After mating, the female floats back down to the ground and attempts to establish a new colony on a suitable, moist site. Although usually just a few feet from her original colony, the female can sometimes establish her new home miles from the original location.

Find more information on fire ant habits and control strategies on Bayer’s Web site, www.nofireants.com or www.bayerprocentral.com.