General Information
Facts and Information
Solenopsis invictaThis section provides you with facts and information related to Red Imported Fire Ants in California and the challenges and steps we must all take to ensure that this insect is eradicated from our state.
The Red Imported Fire Ant, also known as Solenopsis invicta, is a formidable foe wherever it establishes a colony. Since invading the southeastern United States in the late 1920s, the pest has become widespread in 11 southeastern states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. In these regions, the pest has caused billions of dollars in damage to agriculture and has had a major impact on public safety and the environment. In fact, the Red Imported Fire Ant is one of the few pests that is dangerous in urban settings, on agricultural lands and in natural habitats.
In Southern California, state and federal officials have placed Orange County and portions of Los Angeles County and Riverside County under a quarantine. The quarantine limits the movement of articles including plants and soil, and requires commercial nursery growers to take steps to ensure their products are free of Red Imported Fire Ants. It is believed that the infestations in Southern California may stem from the shipment of infested nursery stock from the southeastern states. Fruit orchard infestations in the agricultural regions of California's San Joaquin Valley have been traced back to colonies that hitchhiked on beehives shipped to California from Texas.