Officials are warning of a growing danger in Virginia – fire ants which are spreading from Virginia Beach to cities and counties west of the coast.
Elaine Lindholm works for the Virginia Department of Agriculture, and she’s got nothing good to say about fire ants.
“I have never been stung by one, and it is my goal not to be from what I’ve heard," she says, "It has what they call a ferocious sting, and it’s a very aggressive pest.”
She adds that they can also damage farm equipment, since their mounds are like concrete, and they pose a risk to farm animals. That’s why the state has expanded the area under quarantine.
“Virginia Beach has been quarantined for years," Lindholm says, "but it now includes the counties of Brunswick, Greensville, Isle of Wight, Mecklenburg and Southhampton, plus the independent cities of Emporia and Franklin.”
Anyone leaving those areas with soil or anything that’s come into contact with soil must first get a permit from state nursery inspectors. To arrange for an inspection, call 804-786-3515.