RED FIRE ANT DISCOVERED IN VAN NUYS EXTERMINATORS MAY BE HIRED.Byline: Troy Anderson Staff Writer VAN NUYS - A red fire ant fire ant Any of a genus (Solenopsis) of insects in the ant family, several species of which are common in southern North America. They are red or yellowish and can inflict a severe sting. The semipermanent nest consists of a loose mound with open craters for ventilation. has been discovered in a Van Nuys garden, marking the first appearance of these potentially deadly pests in the city, officials said Monday. The lone ant was found Jan. 18 in the 7000 block of Cantaloupe cantaloupe: see gourd; melon. Avenue, officials said. ``This is an extremely serious problem,'' Agricultural Commissioner Cato Fiksdal said. ``The ants swarm in the hundreds, and each of those stings is reported to be extremely painful and cause blisters.'' County agricultural officials did not find any more at the home, but they warned that more could appear later, said Richard Iizuka, deputy agricultural commissioner. County officials speculate that common Argentinean ants at nearby mounds may have killed off a small population of red imported fire ants, but they won't know for sure until the temperatures warm up and ants start coming out of their mounds again. ``There is the possibility we'll find other fire ants when we go back,'' said Daniel Papilli, a county agricultural inspector. The county Board of Supervisors The examples and perspective in this article or section may represent an unduly geographically limited view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. The Board of Supervisors is the body governing counties in the U.S. is expected to vote today whether to approve spending $627,000 to hire six workers to kill the pests, which sting and can be deadly. The insect entered the Southern United States The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive region in the southeastern and south-central United States. in the 1920s and has since spread to 11 Southeastern states. Its first California appearance was in 1997 at San Joaquin Valley Noun 1. San Joaquin Valley - a vast valley in central California known for its rich farmland Calif., California, Golden State, CA - a state in the western United States on the Pacific; the 3rd largest state; known for earthquakes orchards, making its way to Orange County in October 1998 and Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County in Azusa last March. County agricultural officials are fighting the fire ants at 172 locations in the county, including in Arcadia, Azusa, Cerritos, La Mirada, La Verne, Pico Rivera, Rosemead, South El Monte South El Monte, city (1990 pop. 20,850), Los Angeles co., S Calif., in the San Gabriel Valley; inc. 1958. Manufactures include transportation equipment, electrical and plastic products, clothing, textiles, machinery, and furniture. There is poultry processing. , Torrance, Walnut, West Covina and Whittier. Fire ants were blamed for the recent deaths of two elderly people in a Mississippi nursing home, and they attacked a baby in Arcadia in September. The dark red ants build gopher-like mounds 18 inches or higher and aggressively defend the area. Over the next five years, the county plans to use two types of insecticides to kill the ants, both considered harmless to people unless eaten in large quantities. Agricultural officials encourage those who believe they have red imported fire ants at their homes to call the pest hotline at (800) 491-1899 or visit the state Web site at www.cdfa.ca.gov. |
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