If you have ever lived in the Southeast or Southwest, you are well versed in living with fire ants. They believe that colonies were accidentally introduced into the United States from cargo ships bringing goods from Brazil that were infested with this pesky species. Growing up we were always told that they riding on a banana boat.
Since their introduction they have spread to almost every state of the American South, from Texas to Maryland. Since the 1990s infestations have been reported in New Mexico in the Southwest. They have also been reported in California in the West, but probably arrived via ship or truck rather than by spreading. They were still on the move in the US in the early 21st century, often traveling from one area to another in turf, root balls of nursery plants, and other agricultural products.
Fire ants are more aggressive than most native ant species, and have a painful sting. An animal, including humans, typically encounters them by inadvertently stepping into one of their mounds, which causes the ants to swarm up the legs, attacking en masse. The ants respond to pheromones released by the first ant to attack and sting in concert, often killing smaller animals by overloading their immune systems.
Fire ants are extremely resilient, and have adapted to contend with both flooding and drought conditions. If the ants sense increased water levels in their nests, they will come together and form a huge ball or raft that is able to float, with the workers on the outside and the queen inside. Once the ball hits a tree or other stationary object, the ants swarm onto it and wait for the water levels to recede. To contend with drought conditions, their nest structure includes a network of underground foraging tunnels that extends down to the water table. Also, although they do not hibernate during the winter, colonies can survive temperatures as low as 16 °F (−9 °C).
They could be controlled, but not eradicated. A number of products are available, which can be used on a mound-by-mound basis to destroy ant colonies when they appear. With all such efforts, it is important to reach and kill the queens, which may be as far as six feet (2 m) underground; otherwise, some queens may simply move a short distance away and quickly re-establish the colony. However, during the past few years, even this technique resulted in failure to control colony growth. Scientists then discovered that an adaptation in RIFAs had resulted in many populations having multiple queens in mounds over a large area.
A big thanks goes out to Czar7 for the container, and inspiration for the puzzle.
N 39° 09.FGH W 076° 44.JKL
A. How many varieties of fire ants are there worldwide? XXX
B. Where did Red imported fire ants get introduced to the United States?
- 1. New Orleans
- 2. Tampa
- 3. Mobile
- 4. Galveston
C. How many humps are between the thorax and abdomen? X
D. How many deaths were attributed to fire ants in 2006? XX
E. What is the usual height and width of the mound? XX
F = (D/C) - 39
G = E/9
H = C x 2
J = (A/B) – (D+8)
K = C
L = E/2
