What about this Argentine fire ant?
In many quartersit is painted as the blackest of villains and
a threat to the life and economy of man.
-R.H. Allen, JR. (1958)
Residents of the Southeastern United Sates must deal with a menacing introduced species of ant that causes blazing reactions from its victims. This ant species not only builds enormous unsightly mounds, but it is also very aggressive in its attempts to inflict painful bites and stings sometimes described as feeling like fire. What is this pest ant? It is the imported fire ant, or Solenopsis spp. to the experts.
Because of the imported fire ants' aggressive nature and incisive mounding behavior, it has become one of the most despised urban pests in the United States. However, notice we said "urban" pests. In agricultural situations, the fire ant is a keystone predator meaning that it aids in the control of crop pests like beet armyworms, bollworms, and budworms by keeping crop pest populations at tolerable levels. They also aid in recycling the nutrients in the soil.
Because of their biology, imported fire ants cannot be permanently eradicated from our yards, pastures, and lives. However, the Alabama Fire Ant Management Program can help deal with this imported nuisance. The Alabama Fire Ant Management Program was brought to life in 1997 in order to aid in control and management of this imported pest through research, demonstrations, and educational outreach programs. The goal of the Alabama Fire Ant Management Program is to develop long-term management strategies and to educate people on current available methods of control.
The Alabama Fire Ant Management Program is a cooperative effort of Auburn University's Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology with Alabama A&M University's Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, and the United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service. The Alabama Fire Ant Management Program is funded by the Alabama State Legislature through the Department of Agriculture and Industries.