Raleigh, N.C. Quarantine Expanding
As fire ants continue to spread throughout the state of North Carolina, quarantines on the movement of hay, logs, sod, dirt, and soil equipment are expanding. Newly-included counties in the quarantine include portions of Granville County, just north of Raleigh-Durham, N.C. as well as Clay, Cherokee, and Edgecombe counties. To date, 61 of the 100 counties in the state are included in the quarantine.
The quarantine, designed to slow the spread of the pest, is mandated by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture (NCDA). Residents and business owners in the quarantined areas must now obtain permits before moving plants, sod, and related equipment into or through non-infested areas.
Fire ants were first found in Brunswick County, N.C. in the late 1950s and have continued to spread.
In an effort to build awareness and educate people throughout the United States, we’re circulating a petition asking our country’s legislators to make Fire Ant Awareness Day (April 17, 2007) into a nationally-recognized day. Please take a moment to sign our petition!
