At this time, the department has not determined how the red imported fire ants were introduced to the school property. So far this year the department has eradicated several small colonies of red imported fire ants found at Phoenix area nurseries during routine sampling. In states with known infestations, taxpayers spend hundreds of millions of dollars annually on fire ant abatement and control. The impact is felt in urban areas, with residents trying to control fire ant colonies in lawns and gardens, repairing damage done by the pests and obtaining medical treatment for bites. The red imported fire ant was identified in Alabama in 1930.
Fire ants feed on seeds and young plants.
They damage electrical and irrigation systems and prevent harvesting crops by hand. Fire ants also attack people, livestock and wild animals. The red imported fire ant biting and stinging behavior is generally a defensive reaction. When a mound is disturbed, large numbers of worker ants come to the mound surface and can rapidly cover an unsuspecting victim.