Louisiana and Parts of Texas Under Federal Fire Ant Quarantine

(KPEL) - Summertime in Louisiana and Texas means fire ants.

Well, it means a whole lot more than just fire ants, but you know I'm getting at.

Currently, the entire State of Louisiana and almost all of Texas are under what is called a Federal Fire Ant Quarantine.

Have you ever heard of a Federal Fire Ant Quarantine?

Let's take a look at what exactly this is and what you need to be doing to stay in compliance of this Federal quarantine.

Louisiana And Parts Of Texas Under Federal Ant Quarantine

As the Summertime temperatures heat up, the fire ants come out.

Fire ants, a non-native insect, were accidentally brought to the United States through Alabama in the 1930s and have quickly multiplied and spread across the South.

Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, North and South Carolina, and parts of Oklahoma have been dealing with pesky, invasive fire ants for nearly 100 years now.

READ MORE: Louisiana Bracing for a Surge of Mosquitoes, Ants, and Roaches

Fire ants are known for being aggressive, known for their painful bites and stings, and also for their ability to rapidly take over yards, farms, and even electrical equipment.

Fire ants bite to hold on, then sting multiple times, injecting venom that causes burning, itchy welts and blisters.

One of the biggest problems with fire ants is that they invade electrical boxes and equipment, causing shorts or fires, and this is part of the reason why Louisiana and parts of Texas are currently under a Federal Fire Ant Quarantine.

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OK, so what exactly is a Federal Fire Ant Quarantine?

Does it mean we all have to stay in houses until the quarantine is lifted?

Actually no. It's meant to hopefully keep fire ants where they are and stop them from spreading.

From newsbreak.com -

"During a fire ant quarantine, materials that could potentially contain fire ants are prohibited from being moved until they have been inspected and verified to be completely free of fire ants.

 

This extends to things like farm equipment, soil, hay, and live plants."

READ MORE: Texas Preparing for Deadliest Creature on Earth This Summer

With Louisiana and parts of Texas under a Federal Fire Ant Quarantine, it means certain items cannot be moved out quarantined area unless they are inspected, treated, and certified to be free of fire ants.

These items include:

1. Soil

2. Plants with soil or root balls.

3. Construction equipment

4. Earth-moving equipment

5. Hay and straw

6. Mulch and sod

If you're traveling outside of the Federal Fire Ant Quarantine Zone with any of the items listed above, make sure none of them have fire ants hiding anywhere in or on them.

Read more at newsbreak.com.

You can also see the full Fire Ant Quarantine map over at aphis.usda.gov.