Research will concentrate on chemical controls as well as biological controls such as parasites and diseases. We're looking at things like biological control which is the use of other insects to control the fire ants. The Texas Agricultural Extension Service will undertake educational efforts aimed at informing the public on effective treatments. The Texas Department of Agriculture will conduct surveys to determine problem areas to make quarantine and regulation more effective. And a state coordinating office will be established for community- wide controls.
Cities can have attack plans designed for their specific situation.
They may involve getting everyone in a neighborhood to apply bait at the same time and coordinating the effort to systematically cover entire communities. Taxpayer money will not be used to purchase pesticides. That figure includes medical expenses, equipment repair, livestock losses and pesticide purchases. The red imported fire ant came into the United States in the 1930s. It spread to Texas in the 1950s and now covers two-thirds of the state.