Supervisors to Weigh Fire-Ant Abatement Program Today

A program to combat fire ants with a pesticide and public education will be considered this morning by the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

The plan calls for treating fire-ant mounds in county parks and other county-owned properties with an agent known as fenoxycarb that curbs the ants’ ability to reproduce. The county is also designing an education campaign about the stinging insect, which has infested more than 50 square miles of county land.

“I’m just trying to get ahead of the curve,” said Supervisor Todd Spitzer, who has led county discussions of the ant invasion. “I want to get the growth inhibitor applied as soon as possible.”

Long considered a problem in 11 Southern states, fire ants were first reported last fall in Orange County, which appears to be the center of fire-ant infestation in California. The state Department of Food and Agriculture is deliberating whether to try to exterminate the ants in Orange County with aerial spreading of fenoxycarb or another pesticide.

The county program, estimated to cost $260,000 annually, includes educating students, community groups and the medical community about the ants’ arrival. Known for their painful stings, fire ants can cause severe medical reactions or even death in the small portion of the population that is allergic to them.

Supervisors will discuss the fire-ant plan at their 9:30 meeting today at the county Hall of Administration, 10 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana.