County Ponders Its Battle Plan for Fire Ant War
Banishing invading fire ants from the Orange County area could take five years or longer and cost from $8 million to as much as $100 million in the first year, state officials said Friday.
But despite those daunting numbers, the officials say they are serious about combating the aggressive, stinging insects that already have infested 50 square miles of the county.
The method mentioned most: aerial sprinkling of a pesticide that acts as a kind of birth control, sterilizing the queen fire ant and curbing the spread of the South American native. If that method is chosen, the California Department of Food and Agriculture could start applying the chemical in Orange County as early as this spring.
But even the experts admit they cannot say how long it would take to rid the county of the swarming insects--if it can be done at all. A key question is whether to prevent the insects from migrating or to try to eradicate them.
“We should prepare ourselves for three to five years to do this,” said Pat Minyard, branch chief with the agriculture department’s pest prevention section. “We’re going to be in this for a long period of time.”
More than 200 people crammed into a meeting room in Santa Ana on Friday afternoon to hear state and county officials report how and why fire ants should be controlled.
The insects build mounds as tall as 18 inches on golf courses, in gardens and on irrigated lawns next to sidewalks. Besides devouring plants, they frequently chew and damage electrical wires. They are also poisonous to people allergic to their bites.
The fire ant has long been a problem in Southern states. Their recent arrival in California is stirring deep concern among residents, the nursery industry and scientists.
Some fear the pesky and sometimes deadly insect will force outdoor-loving residents to change their lifestyles, casting a pall on everyday events like barbecues, gardening and golf. In some ant-infested states, for instance, children are told not to play outdoors with bare feet.
To date, Orange County appears to be the hotbed of California ant activity, with sightings confirmed in 15 cities and three unincorporated communities since autumn, when the ants’ presence was first announced. Ants have been found as far west as Los Alamitos and Cypress, north in Anaheim and as far south as Mission Viejo and San Juan Capistrano.
More ants have showed up in nurseries in Los Angeles County and Riverside counties as well as a Moreno Valley neighborhood and two golf courses in Palm Desert. State survey workers, who still have not found the outer borders of the infestation, say the ants may have been living here as long as five years.
Several in the audience said they want the ants eliminated, even if that means widespread pesticide use. They think action should be taken soon, before the ants spread farther.
“You only get one shot at it,” said Santa Ana resident Lon H. Records. If Southern Californians are forced to live with the ants, he said, “you don’t want to set your kid or your grandkid on the lawn. . . . It would restrict life as we know it.”
Others were more cautious, including Pete DeSimone, who manages a National Audubon Society sanctuary in southern Orange County. He said aerial spreading of pesticide in the protected area “is something we feel is inappropriate.”
Orange County Supervisor Todd Spitzer, who organized the Friday town meeting, noted that some pesticides can harm aquatic animals.
The three pesticides being considered for use in Orange County have all undergone a barrage of testing and are considered safe for use around humans, pets and other vertebrates, state officials said.
Two are sterilizing agents aimed at fire ants, and the third is derived from a naturally occuring soil bacteria. All would be used in low doses, officials said. The tone of the meeting was earnest but low-key. Spitzer said he hopes to avoid confrontations by promoting communication between the public and the agriculture department, which will lead any fire-ant attacks.
“There isn’t panic in the community. It sounds like we have a pretty level-headed approach to the problem,” Spitzer said. But “there’s one thing that’s abundantly clear--we don’t have a local game plan.”
One problem plaguing ant fighters is that they still have not found the outside boundaries of the infestation, despite weeks of searching for mounds and following up telephone tips. And money is tight.
“Our resources to go out and find this ant have been totally exhausted,” said Bob Wynn, director of plant health and pest prevention services with the state agriculture department.
Two legislators from Orange County this week asked the state Legislature for money to fight the fire ants.
The bill, introduced by state Sen. John Lewis of Orange, would allocate extra funds to the state Department of Food and Agriculture to be used to eradicate the ants. Assemblyman Bill Campbell (R-Villa Park) will co-sponsor the measure in the Assembly.
Cost estimates vary widely. The most expensive option mentioned Friday would allocate $100 million a year to start eradicating the ants by spreading pesticides on the ground.
If you want more information about fire ants or suspect that your property is infested, call (800) 491-1899. More information is available on the state agriculture department Web site: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov
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Ants on the Move
Invasive fire ants, first reported in South County in October, have now been found across the county, with large concentrations around Los Alamitos. Residents may report suspicious ants or ant mounds by calling (800) 491-1899. For more information, visit the Department of Food & Agriculture’s Web site at www.cdfa.ca.gov
Source: California Department of Food and Agriculture