Fire ant quarantine area expands
The state quarantine area for the imported fire ant has expanded once more to include all of Granville and portions of Caswell and Person counties, meaning that 79 of the state’s 100 counties are now included in the quarantine area.
The imported fire ant was first identified in Brunswick County in 1957. As it spread and became established, it was recognized as an aggressive pest of farmlands, pastures, residential areas and wildlife, and its painful sting makes it a nuisance and health concern to people, livestock and wildlife. In quarantine areas, residents and business owners need a permit to move plants, sod or related equipment into or through non-infested areas. In Western North Carolina, the quarantine area includes Jackson, Macon, Clay, Cherokee and Graham counties but excludes Swain, Haywood, Transylvania, Henderson, Buncombe and Madison.
