These days, the word quarantine is synonymous with Covid-19. However, quarantines can be used to quell a slew of scenarios, including a fire ant invasion. No, this isn’t the plot of some sci-fi movie. Arkansas is currently being invaded by fire ants, and because of such, dozens of counties are subject to a federal quarantine.

In June 2021, the USDA expanded its “imported fire ant quarantine” to include four more Arkansas counties - Prairie, Logan, White, and Sebastian.
Insects Unlocked/Flickr
With the new additions, there are 43 counties subject to the federal quarantine.
agriculture.arkansas.gov
The invasive fire ants aren’t just an issue for Arkansas, though.
Babak Fakhamzadeh/Flickr
Native to South America, red imported fire ants arrived in the U.S. in the 1930s. Since then, they’ve spread like wild fire (ants).
Martin LaBar/Flickr

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Today, they infest more than 350 million acres in Puerto Rico! And 14 states have counties under quarantine.
James Wetterer/Wikimedia
And though they can fly short distances and travel via water, “human assistance” is the main way they’ve spread in the southern U.S.
TheCoz/Wikimedia
Seemingly harmless tasks, such as moving firewood, plants, and seeds, from one location to another has greatly contributed to their spread.
Aqua Owl/Flickr
So, what exactly does the quarantine entail? Well, it basically requires that agricultural products, such as sod, hay, and nursery stock, be certified as “free of fire ants” before being shipped from quarantine counties to non-quarantine areas.
slgckgc/Flickr
The aim of the quarantine is to prevent or, at the very least, slow the spread of the fire ants, which are much more than a nuisance. They can actually short out electrical equipment, such as AC units.
Jackie Bese/Flickr

For more information, including quarantine specifics, visit the Arkansas Department of Agriculture website.

So, did you know about the fire ant quarantine? Have you personally been affected by the invasive ants? Feel free to share!

Believe it or not, fire ants aren’t the only menacing thing about life in Arkansas. Click here for the biggest risks that come along with life in the Natural State.

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