State Rejects Aerial Spraying to Control Fire Ants

State agriculture officials have ruled out spreading pesticide from the air to control fire ants.

State Agriculture Secretary William J. Lyons Jr. said Thursday that his department is not recommending aerial application, a controversial approach that has dominated recent public debate. A final plan is under review.

The specter of helicopters spreading chemically treated bait over neighborhoods has stoked opposition among many residents. It has also divided scientists, with some warning that aerial application is California’s only hope of banishing ants that can hurt people, livestock and wildlife. Others worry that broadcasting pesticide from the air could kill other ants and wildlife and taint local waterways. The ants have infested at least 50 square miles of Orange County and portions of Los Angeles and Riverside counties.