02/12/1997

Fire Ant Research Receives Additional Funding

AUBURN, Ala. - Imported fire ants are notorious for sneaking onto their victims in large numbers and then all stinging at once. Now scientists in Auburn University's College of Agriculture will be using a similar approach to fight fire ants thanks to a $100,000 appropriation from the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries.

The money, which came through a legislative initiative, was presented to the AU Department of Entomology recently by Jack Thompson, commissioner of Agriculture and Industries. According to Ed Cupp, head of the entomology department, the funds will be used in a multi-faceted assault on fire ants.

"The Department of Entomology will use the funds to support a team of researchers with different backgrounds to attack the imported fire ant problem," explained Cupp. "The breadth of the new program will include basic and applied research as well as extension efforts. Results from these state-funded studies will be used to prepare grant proposals to seek individual project funds from other sources such as the USDA."

According to David Oi, a research fellow of entomology at Auburn who will be part of the fire ant research/extension team, fire ants infest more than 280 million acres in the Southeast and pose both economic and health hazards for the region.

Oi explained that fire ants are aggressive creatures that, when disturbed, inflict painful stings which often result in pustules and intense itching. Not only is the initial attack painful, the effects of fire ant stings can linger for days and develop into more serious complications if the pustules become infected or if the victim is allergic to the stings. Allergic reactions range from rashes and swelling to paralysis and, in cases of severe reactions, may even result in death.

In addition to this human health problem, fire ants sting pets, livestock and wildlife, cause crop losses by feeding on seedlings and citrus trees, damage farm machinery, mar the beauty of lawns and turf and even short circuit electrical equipment. Oi noted that imported fire ants first entered the southern United States from South America in the early 1900s, probably brought in a boat docked in Mobile Bay. Through the years they have become well established in the Southeast and are spreading northward.

According to Pat Cobb, a professor of entomology at AU who will also be part of the fire ant team, the insect pests are expensive to control. In 1993, $15.1 million was spent on control of fire ants in Alabama alone.

"The imported fire ant is one of the most studied ant species in the world, yet it remains a serious pest," said Oi. Oi noted that research and extension efforts in the United States have already developed temporary methods to help control fire ant populations, and research continues to improve these methods. The AU team will examine many facets of fire ant control and management, including the idea of integrating biological, cultural and chemical controls into a management system.

"A strategy of using several control methods provides more flexibility in controlling fire ants in different situations and could lead to longer-term control," said Oi.

"Fire ants are an ever increasing problem in Alabama and the region," said James Marion, dean of the AU College of Agriculture and director of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station. "Fire ant control programs are not entirely adequate and more research is needed on control methodology. Auburn is grateful for the support provided by the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, and we look forward to teaming our entomology faculty in a joint program to address this persistent problem."

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Auburn University College of Agriculture
Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station
3 Comer Hall, Auburn University
Auburn, AL 36849
334-844-4877 (PHONE) 334-844-5892 (FAX)

Contact Jamie Creamer, 334-844-2783 or jcreamer@auburn.edu
Contact Katie Jackson, 334-844-5886 or smithcl@auburn.edu

02/12/97