Yea, the article said they were first noticed back in 1984. I don't know why the sudden alarm now other than maybe the writer was under pressure to write something alarming.
If I owned expensive property in that neck of the woods, after reading the press release I’d be alarmed, too...
https://www.countyofsb.org/3967/2022-Agricultural-Crop-Production-Report
2022 was the most recent I could quickly find.
Another reason for folks in SBC to be having a cow about a RIFA infestation.
One more, and this one’s an eye popper...
https://cisr.ucr.edu/invasive-species/red-imported-fire-ant
“...In Texas, over $1.1 billion is spent annually on pesticides for fire ant control, and $872 million of that is for control of ants infesting lawns in urban areas...”
CA also comes on for discussion.
And now I’m really wondering if SBC is coming clean about where the infestation came from.