Fire ant reports up since Hanna

Tropical Storm Hanna apparently unleashed more than heavy rains and strong winds during its passage over Pasquotank County several weeks ago. Reports of red fire ants have been surging since the storm.

Tom Campbell, an agricultural agent with the Pasquotank Cooperative Extension Service, says he's been fielding between six and 12 calls a day from homeowners asking about fire ants and how to get rid of them.

Cheryl Dukes is one of those who called Campbell for advice.

An Azalea Acres resident for 16 years, Dukes says she never had a problem with fire ants before. Recently, however, she discovered at least 20 ant mounds in her yard, nearly all of them boiling over with the insects. One several feet wide in fact formed over her septic tank.

"I don't know what's been going on this year," Dukes said. "It's been crazy."

According to Wikopedia, fire ants can be distinguished from other ants by their copper brown head and darker abdomen. Unlike other ants, which can also bite, fire ants only bite to get a grip. They then sting and inject a venom that can be deadly to those sensitive to the toxim. The sting is painful and not unlike the sensation of being burned by fire, which is where the name "fire ant" originates.

Fire ants are the descendants of insects originally from South America that were accidentally released in the United States from ships docked in Mobile, Ala. in 1918. It took 75 years for the insects to make the trek to Pasquotank County, Campbell said.

"The first mound showed up here in Halstead Boulevard in 1993," he said.

The ants have since spread beyond Pasquotank into Gates County and Virginia Beach, Campbell said. Ant density is not uniform throughout the area, however. The ant spread depends on soil type, slope, land elevation and water table height.

Fire ants typically spread during the summer and fall, usually following big rainstorms.

"On rather dry to semi-rainy summers we've seen them spread all throughout this county — from the southern end of the county through (U.S.) Highway 17," Campbell said.

This year, the ants held off their surge until after Hanna struck, he said.

Mark Peters, manager of Ace Hardware, said he hasn't been able to keep pesticides on the shelf since Hanna.

"I've never heard so many people talk about fire ants in this area," he said.

Local sign companies are also having problems with the pesky insects, Peters said.

"Ambrose Signs bought two cases of Bengal," he said, referring to a type of pesticide used to fight fire ants. "Every time they go out in a field to put up a sign, they run up against fire ants."

Bites from fire ants have on rare occasions resulted in death, Campbell said. The most recent in the area occurred in 2006, when a Marine died in Virginia Beach after being bitten by a fire ant.

Because it is difficult to know if someone is allergic to fire ant bites, it's best to avoid direct contact with red ant mounds and control their spread as quickly as possible, Campbell said.

Disturbing ant mounds also doesn't do any good. Usually, a disturbed ant colony will immediately delve underground and establish a new mound close by, Campbell said.

The worst reaction, however, is to do nothing, he said.

"Complacency spreads pests," Campbell said.

Campbell recommends a variety of commercial baits or sprays to control fire ants, but urges caution in their use. Treating areas beyond the ant mound can harm other insects that are natural enemies of fire ants, he said.

Those using poisons that require water dilution should be prepared to carry a lot of water, he says. Products also should be used up in the year when they're purchased. They're usually less effective if saved for use the following year, he said.

Campbell said powdered lime is also good for marking mounds that have been treated against fire ants.

Kids should especially be cautioned about the dangers of red ant mounds, Campbell said.

Campbell is hosting a seminar on red fire ants at the Pasquotank County Cooperative Extension Center on Friday, Sept. 26 from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

For more information on red fire ants, visit the North Carolina State University Web site at: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/Urban/ifa.htm

Staff writer Toby Tate contributed to this story.