There are things being done, but it's not an easy problem to solve. First, imported fire ant control using today's chemical methods provides only temporary suppression and costs money on a per area basis. Wildlife range over large areas, so the cost of periodic treatments would be prohibitive. Researchers are studying the impact of imported fire ants on wildlife and evaluating ant management approaches. While fire ants are reducing the populations of some wildlife species, other conditions such as land use practices and weather conditions also contribute to declining populations. There is great hope that the biological control agents currently under investigation will help reduce the impact of imported fire ants on wildlife.

Browse related FAQs by tag: fire ants