Posted on 07/25/2024 6:28:25 AM PDT by Red Badger
Agricultural officials in Southern California are battling an active infestation of red imported fire ants that are "highly aggressive in nature," and pose a risk to California's agricultural economy.
The infestation occurred at a private property in Montecito, in Santa Barbara County, according to a recent press release from the Santa Barbara County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office.
Located over 90 miles north of Los Angeles, Montecito is best known as a celebrity enclave with Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle among the town's residents.
Officials did not name the owners of the private property.
Venom released from the ants' stings can cause "painful pustules on the skin, and can be particularly dangerous, even fatal, to sensitive groups or those with an allergy to the venom," officials said in the July 18 release.
Red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta, pose "an immediate threat" to California's agricultural economy because they require a quarantine of nursery products, officials said.
The ant species is native to South America but has established populations in parts of Southern California, particularly in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties. The first recorded presence of the species in California was in 1984.
Siavash Taravati, an entomologist and integrated pest management advisor with the University of California's Cooperative Extension offices, noted the distinction between this species of ants and ants native to California.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Mix up the right ratio of water, sugar, and borax and it’ll take those ants out in no time!
DDT
California plague #1......9 more to go
I thought Gruesome’s agricultural water shut offs were an immediate threat to California farmers. I’d rather have ants than what comes out of Sacramento.
How are those CA ag border stations going to inspect for ants? I’d hate to be in a car with them unless I was intentionally smuggling them in and had them well secured and hidden.
Better shut down all the voting places and use mail in voting only! Dem ants gonna get in people’s pants if we go outside
They look like the same species we’ve been fighting in N Texas for years. Are they the same?
I thought fireants were mega aggressive too if the nest gets disturbed?
It seems like every 5 or 10 years, we get a series of news stories about a new “aggressive” species of insect, fish or other animal “invading” America.
Next, they’ll be voting!
Welcome to MY world.
The Farkles must have brought in exotic plants.
Apparently this is a new species..............gee, I wonder how they got here?................
Next, they’ll be voting!
- - -
But if they are Red do they vote Republican?
Will they become Blue Imported Fire Ants?
California state government is at war with agriculture and hates pesticides, so they’ll probably protect the fire ants.
Maybe we could plant colonies at major crossing points along the border. On the Mexican side, preferably.
In Texas dem are called ‘fahr ants’
Yes, but so are regular ants. These ants apparently will attack even if you just come near the nests.
Here in Florida, we have regular Fire Ants and a new ‘invasive’ species of ant called ‘Caribbean Crazy Ants’ that tend to drive out Fire Ants...............
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