STANTON

Fire ants have been spotted in parts of the city, Mayor Harry Dotson said Tuesday. The aggressive stinging insects, which have infested 50 square miles of the county, were sighted along Knott and Cerritos avenues near Cypress in mid-December.

Fire ants can be distinguished from other ants by their hills, said John Ellis, the county’s deputy agricultural commissioner. He said fire ants construct “gopher-like mounds” up to 15 inches high and 3 feet wide. Information: (800) 491-1899.