In a word, no. In large infested areas like the Southeastern U.S., imported fire ants cannot be eradicated completely with methods available today. With proper control methods they can be eliminated temporarily from small areas. Their biology and spread make it economically, technically, and ecologically impossible to eradicate them from larger areas. Attempts are underway, however, to eradicate this species from relatively small sites of infestation in areas of recent introduction, (e.g., parts of California and Australia). Imported fire ants spread naturally through colony relocation and mating flights. When female reproductives fly into the air to mate, they may drop to the ground miles from where they originally emerged. They can also move into new areas when soil or other items are transported from one area to another that may contain a mated queen or entire colony. Imported fire ant colonies also travel on top of flood water. Their means of spread is just one reason why imported fire ants cannot be eliminated. Eradication was attempted in the late 1950s when the total infested area was about 63 million acres. Concerns about the effect of the insecticides used and impact of the treatments on non-target species eventually stopped the program. Currently, more than 330 million acres are infested with fire ants. See also FAQ #1095, "Why can't we eliminate the imported fire ant?"