Fire Ants

Fire Ant Control In Commercial Sod and Nursery Stock

Steve Hughes lays down sod near one of Mississippi State University’s new residence halls.

Although fire ants infest most of the southeastern United States (See Imported Fire Ant Quarantine Map), there are many states, or parts of states, where they do not yet occur. Fire ants could easily be transported to these areas by movement of infested soil. Such accidental transport could occur through movement of sod or nursery stock containing established colonies of fire ants or individual newly mated queens.

The United States Department of Agriculture maintains a quarantine against unregulated transport of soil or soil-containing items, including sod and nursery stock, from fire ant infested areas to uninfested areas. Sod and nursery stock shipped out of the quarantined area must have an appropriate inspection certificate and be treated according to USDA guidelines. Nurserymen and sod producers who plan to ship products outside the fire ant quarantine area need to be aware of the requirements that must be met and make arrangements for appropriate treatments and inspections well before the anticipated shipment date. Contact the Mississippi Department of Agriculture for specific details. See USDA APHIS Publication 81-25-001, Imported Fire Ant Quarantine Treatments for Nursery Stock, Grass Sod, and Related Materials for specific products and treatment protocols required for treating sod and nursery stock that will be shipped to areas outside the imported fire ant quarantine zone.

• Fire Ant Biology
• Mississippi Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Plant Industry, Plant Pest Control Programs, Imported Fire Ants
• Imported Fire Ant Quarantine Treatments for Nursery Stock, Grass Sod, and Related Materials

Contact information for Dr. Blake Layton.