Reinforcements for Fire Ant War Are on the Way

A new campaign to eradicate red imported fire ants will rely in part on help from residents armed with potato chips, cotton swabs, dish soap and plastic bags, according to Orange County officials who hope to exploit the insects’ voracious appetites.

The fire ant, which now occupies 23 of the county’s 33 cities and is threatening Southern California agribusiness, must be stopped, said officials Thursday as they announced a $5.9-million attack strategy.

A year after the insect arrived in Orange County, millions of dollars in damage has resulted from lost nursery sales, treatment costs and expenses because of a quarantine imposed after the ants’ discovery in California, officials said.

“The red imported fire ant is not going away soon,” said Supervisor Todd Spitzer. “This little pest . . . if unchecked, has the ability to threaten agriculture and change our lifestyles.”

Residents who believe they have red ants on their property are asked to put out potato chips as a lure. When ants appear, residents should moisten a swab with dish soap, which acts as a killing agent, rub the tip on the ant and place it inside a bag.

It then can be mailed to the newly formed Orange County Fire Ant Authority, which will test the critter to determine if it’s a red imported fire ant. If it is, a field inspector will visit and spread a bait designed to eradicate the local infestation.

In addition, the authority--supported through June 2001 by $5.9 million in county and state funds--will store the information in a database and notify neighbors of the discovery.

“With more than 730,000 parcels of property in Orange County, finding the fire ant is not something the government can do for you,” said Robert D. Sjogren, manager of the Orange County Vector Control District.

Sjogren’s agency has 32 field inspectors, but their duties also include visiting nurseries and eradicating other pests. A new ant authority manager has already been hired and will begin at the end of the month.

Field inspectors will also concentrate on five areas now plagued with fire ants: Cypress, Coto de Caza, Rancho Santa Margarita, Mission Viejo and Trabuco Canyon.

The stepped-up campaign comes more than a year after fire ants were discovered in the county near Trabuco Canyon. Native to South America, the ants were discovered in Orange County in November 1998. They have since been found in Los Angeles, Ventura, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

Besides inflicting painful stings, the ants eat plants, damage electrical equipment and can harm livestock and wildlife.

The ants prefer moist areas near a source of water. Though they encompass a 500-square-mile area of the county, some entomologists contend the region’s dry climate and winter rainfall may slow and limit the advancing army.

“In Orange County, we don’t see a massive wave movement the way you can in the Southeastern portion of the United States, where red ants are more prevalent,” said Les Greenberg, an associate research entomologist at UC Riverside.

In those states, high humidity and rainfall in warm months serve as catalysts for the ants’ breeding cycle, which begins each spring.

Though the ants have the potential to breed year round in California, Greenberg said their discovery has been only recent and there has not been scientific tracking of their behavior here.

The ant authority also plans to organize cities throughout the county and have them conduct town hall meetings warning residents about the ant threat and seek their help in identifying them.

Officials believe it will take three years and possibly longer to eradicate the pest.

In response to reporters, Spitzer said the new strategy has taken a year to develop because the county first had to assess the ant threat, get funding from Sacramento, plan a strategy, then implement it.

“I’ve always said from day one, the ants do not wait to reproduce while the government figures out what its strategy is going to be,” Spitzer said. “Obviously, in this case, nature is going to take its course.”

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Fire Ants Be Gone

The Orange County Fire Ant Authority is asking residents to help fight the insects. What to do if you suspect fire ants are in your yard:

1. Spread potato chips out in 25-foot intervals in the backyard.

2. Kill ant by touching it with cotton swab dipped in dishwashing liquid.

3. Place dead ant in plastic bag, mail to:

O.C. Fire Ant Authority

P.O. Box 59

Santa Ana, CA 92702

(800) 491-1899

4. If fire ants are found, a field inspector comes to your home and spreads bait designed to make the queen infertile.

Source: Orange County Fire Ant Authority

Graphics reporting by DAVID REYES / Los Angeles Times