Fire Ant Quarantines Issued in 2 Counties
Signaling the further spread of fire ants, a quarantine was declared Thursday in small portions of Los Angeles and Riverside counties where the swarming, biting pests have been detected.
The action came one week after all of Orange County was placed under quarantine in hopes of controlling the ants, a South American native that can hurt people, livestock and wildlife. More than 50 square miles of Orange County are known to be infested.
The new quarantine areas include 4.5 miles in Cerritos, where ants were found in two residential areas last month. In Riverside County, 38 square miles are covered, including areas of Indio, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Bermuda Dunes and Moreno Valley.
The quarantine rules are aimed at nurseries because ant colonies can travel in soil around the roots of plants and trees. The state will forbid movement of uninspected soil and nursery plants and may require inspection of all businesses that sell plants, including supermarkets and drugstores.
Residents may report suspicious ants or mounds by calling (800) 491-1899. More information can be found on the state Department of Food and Agriculture Web site at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov
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