Fire ant quarantine expanded

APHIS has issued a revised Federal Order that establishes quarantined areas in Virginia for the first time and expands the existing quarantine areas in Arkansas, Tennessee, and Texas for the imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren, S. richteri Forel, and hybrids).

This action is necessary in order to prevent the interstate spread of IFA.

Effective immediately, APHIS is establishing a quarantine for IFA in the following areas: The entire county of Arkansas, in Arkansas; portions of Cannon, Dickson, Davidson, Gibson, Knox, Sevier, and Williamson counties, and the entire counties of Tipton, Warren, and White in Tennessee; a portion of Lubbock county, as well as the entire counties of Archer, Baylor, Callahan, Clay, Coke, Coleman, Concho, Crane, Crockett, Fisher, Haskell, Howard, Irion, Martin, Mitchell, Nolan, Reagan, Runnels, Schleicher, Scurry, Shakelford, Starr, Terrell, Throckmorton, Upton, Ward, Wilbarger, and Winkler  in Texas, are quarantined for IFA. For the first time, the entire counties of James City and York, and the Cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, and Williamsburg in Virginia, are also added to the IFA quarantine.

For more information, contact IFA National Program Manager Charles Brown at (301) 734-4838