Red imported fire ants (RIFA) are invasive nuisance insects that have spread throughout the southeastern United States since their initial arrival more than sixty five years ago. Red imported fire ants, or Solenopsis invicta Buren, is native to Mato Grasso,
Brazil and other areas throughout central South America and was accidentally brought to
Mobile, Alabama in the early 1940s. Although the method of introduction is not clear, the USDA states that it is possible that the species may have arrived in the United States on ships’ ballasts. Since their initial invasion in the 1940s, the species has spread throughout fourteen states. Red imported fire ants impose substantial negative impacts on people, animals, rural and urban environments culminating …show more content…
Further, the ants cause about $750 million dollars in damage to agricultural assets, including veterinary bills and livestock loss, as well as crop loss
(USDA 2014).” When this considerable economic impact is considered, in addition to the environmental impacts on people and animals, something must be done to manage, contain, or eradicate this species.
VII. Eradication Attempt
Within a decade of the accidental introduction of the red imported fire ant, significant attempts were made to rid the United States of this species. Between 1950 and 1970, a chemical insecticide named Mirex was extensively used in an attempt to eradicate the species (Theodoropoulos 2003). The pesticide failed to eradicate the RIFA and inadvertently aided the fire ants' spread by killing numerous native ant species that compete successfully with them. Mirex also caused even broader ecological harm that was often attributed to the fire ants. For example, it was first thought that the ants were linked to the decline of overwintering birds such as the loggerhead shrike, but a later study showed the pesticide Mirex was largely to blame. This chemical use of Mirex was prohibited by the US Environmental Protection Agency in 1976.
VIII. Federal