A Majority of Texas Is Now Under a Federal Fire Ant Quarantine

Walk around any field or dirt area in Texas and there is a good chance you will see fire ants. You might even see these ants in your own yard if you aren't careful. Fire ants are bad news and multiple states are now under a federal fire ant quarantine in an attempt to slow the spread of them.

And now a majority of Texas is part of this quarantine.

Majority of Texas Under a Federal Imported Fire Ant Quarantine

A majority of Texas has joined Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, most of Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, and parts of Oklahoma and Virginia in this quarantine.

Fire ants are native to the United States. They arrived in the early 1930's when they were accidentally transported here. And since the 1930's they have been growing and spreading across the southern United States according to HouseDigest.com.

Fire ant stings can be painful. Very painful. And once you or a pet gets stung by one, others will swarm and before long you are covered in fire ants. Fire ants can also damage wiring, electronics, and more leading to costly repairs.

What Does the Fire Ant Quarantine Mean?

First, if you live in a quarantine area, it means you have a higher chance of coming across fire ants or even having an infestation in your home or backyard. Fire ant mounds look like large loose piles of soil. Step in one, and you could be covered in seconds.

The federal fire ant quarantine also means that "materials that could potentially contain fire ants are prohibited from being moved", according to HouseDigest.com. This means things like farm equipment, soil, hay, plants, etc. can't be moved to a place outside quarantine unless it's inspected first.

You can see which counties in Texas are under a Fire Ant Quarantine here.