Fire ants have been in Eastern Virginia for many years, and a new type of fire ant has now been confirmed in parts of Southwest Virginia.
Since 2021, Hybrid fire began spreading into Lee County from nearby Tennessee, said Amy Byington, an agent with Virginia Cooperative Extension in Lee County who’s been working to slow the spread of these insects. She said hybrid fire ants can be transported through mulch, dirt, vehicles, and can even fly up to two miles when they are trying to establish a new colony. “Hybridized fire ants are just super, super prolific,” Byington said.
These look different from other fire ants, which are all red.
“These are actually half red, half black, and they’re super, super tiny,” Byington described.
She said fire ants used to be unable to survive the colder mountain temperatures, but these ants seem to be able to tolerate the chill. They act differently from other ants, which usually run away if their mound is disturbed.
“These guys come out and they’re looking for you,” Byington said. “Like, attack, attack, attack.”
Hybrid fire ants have been identified in other areas of Southwest Virginia too, but their main area they are spreading is still isolated to Lee County.
Byington says her office has had some success assisting landowners in killing them with bait, but it can take several applications. Once a population gets established, they can spread very quickly. “Hopefully other people in Southwest Virginia are aware that the problem is coming. And they’ll start treating them. Cause without treatment they will literally start spreading like wildfire,” Byington said.
The ant bites are painful for humans and animals, and some people are allergic. Very young animals are especially at risk, and could die in fields with lots of these ants. Byington advises anyone who thinks they may have hybrid fire ants in their yard to contact their local extension agent.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
