Imported fire ants are one hitchhiker you want to avoid. Their 

painful sting can hurt people, 

injure animals, and harm 

U.S. agriculture. They can also 

cause you significant delays on 

the road—24 to 48 hours—if 

Federal or State agriculture 

inspectors find these ants in your truck or on the cargo you’re 

carrying. So, if you’re hauling baled hay, straw, nursery stock, 

sod, loose soil, or soil-caked heavy equipment, read on to find 

out what you need to do to keep these ants from hitching a ride.

Know the Risk 

To stop the spread of imported fire ants, the U.S. Department 

of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service (APHIS) and State departments of agriculture regulate 

the movement of certain items out of areas where we know 

imported fire ant colonies exist. Quarantined areas include all 

of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South 

Carolina, and Puerto Rico and portions of Arkansas, California, 

New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, 

and Virginia. To see the most current quarantine map, visit 

www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-health/ifa and click the “Imported 

Fire Ant Quarantine Map” link.

Avoid Delays

Some items require a permit if you move them out of a 

quarantine area. The permit confirms that these items aren’t 

infested with imported fire ants. If you don’t have a permit 

Truckers: Don’t Let Imported 

Fire Ants Hitch a Ride

Two species of imported fire ants–black 

and red–were introduced into the United 

States from South America at the port of 

Mobile, AL. Today, fire ant infestations 

are found in 14 States and Puerto Rico. 

Credit: USDA APHIS PPQ Archive, 

USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org

Imported fire ants are aggressive 

and will swarm and attack if their 

mound-shaped nests are disturbed. 

Credit: Jake Farnum, Bugwood.org

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
confirming your cargo is free of imported fire ants, State 

agriculture station officials may delay you 24 to 48 hours 

while they inspect your truck and its cargo and, if necessary, 

supervise its cleaning. 

The following items must be inspected and permitted before 

you can move them out of a quarantine area:

• Bulk soil, mulch, composted soil, topsoil, and other articles 

whenever compacted soil is present. Commercially prepared 

potting soil in its original container is exempt.

• Baled hay and straw that has been stored in direct contact 

with the ground.

• Plants and grass sod with roots and soil attached, including 

containerized nursery stock, balled-and-burlapped 

nursery stock, sod squares, or rolls (plants maintained 

indoors and not for sale are exempt).

• Soil-moving equipment, unless all compacted soil is 

removed.

• Any other article that could spread imported fire ants.

The owner is responsible for getting the cargo inspected and 

giving you a copy of the permit before you leave the 

quarantine area. To obtain a permit, the owner should contact 

the State department of agriculture (nationalplantboard.org/

membership) or the local APHIS office (www.aphis.usda.gov/

planthealth/sphd).

Look Before You Leave

Even if your truck and its cargo have been inspected, you still 

need to take care to prevent imported fire ants from hitching 

a ride. Be aware when you overnight. Mound-shaped fire ant 

nests may be near parking and rest areas, and if disturbed, ants 

can easily relocate their colony in a few hours...and that may 

be onto your truck! Here are some simple tips for steering clear 

of fire ants:

• Inspect the truck before beginning your trip to make sure no 

fire ants are present.

• Park on pavement whenever possible to discourage fire ants 

from climbing onto your truck.

• Eliminate an infestation in or around your truck with a 

commercially available insecticide labeled for use on 

fire ants.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

PPQ-19-002 • Issued November 2018