A terrifying threat from Tropical Storm Cindy: Floating masses of deadly fire ants

[DonViejo]

By Peter Holley June 22 at 2:26 PM


A swarm of fire ants clings to a chain-link fence and floating debris in 2004 in Lithia, Fla. (Chris O’Meara/AP)

Tropical Storm Cindy may have been downgraded to a tropical depression Thursday, but that doesn’t mean Gulf Coast residents are in the clear.

As the storm moves inland, it’s still expected to dump enough rainfall between Texas and Florida to cause severe flooding, which raises the possibility of another threat that may take some locals by surprise: floating fire ants.

The notoriously tough insects are just as dangerous when they’re wet as they are dry, according to Alabama officials, who are warning residents to keep their eyes peeled for floating mounds of fire ants.

“Floodwaters will not kill fire ants,” the warning states. “Instead their colonies will emerge from the soil, form a loose ball, float and flow with the water until reaching a dry area or object.”

“Floating colonies can look like ribbons, streamers or a ball of ants floating on the water,” the warning adds. “These amoeba-like masses contain all of the colonies’ members — worker ants, brood (eggs, larvae, pupae), winged reproductive males and females, and queen ants.”

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2017/06/22/a-terrifying-threat-from-tropical-storm-cindy-floating-masses-of-deadly-fire-ants/

[dhill926]

1. now that's the stuff of nightmares....

jesus...

[Control-Z]

2. You took the words right out of my mouth!

Horrifying

[RKP5637]

3. OMG!!!! Never did I ever imagine this! Thanks!!! n/t

[gratuitous]

4. And, not to be alarmist

But anyone in the area affected by Cindy make sure you have your emergency kit fully stocked and ready. I'm not sanguine about the chances that any emergency assistance will be coming your way from the federal government.

[B2G]

5. That happens every time it floods down there

I have a hard time believing it took the locals by surprise. Probably the reporters though.

[MontanaMama]

6. Forgive my ignorance

but what in the hell is the deal with these fire ants? Have they always been in the US or did they migrate here or are they invasive? Do they have any natural predators? I'm fascinated and repulsed at the same time.

[GoCubsGo]

11. They are invasives from South America.

They first started showing up in the southern states during the early in the 20th century, apparently by accidental introduction.

[herding cats]

13. They're an invasive species from South America.

I think they were brought to the US in ships ballast in the 1930-40's. I can't remember for sure.

This is where their projected to migrate to eventually.



https://www.ars.usda.gov/southeast-area/gainesville-fl/center-for-medical-agricultural-and-veterinary-entomology/imported-fire-ant-and-household-insects-research/docs/potential-united-states-range-expansion-of-the-invasive-fire-ant/

The only known predator I'm aware of are Pseudacteon phorid flies. I've read they only had a success rate of around 3%, so they're not an actual salvation from the dreaded fire ant.

[LeftInTX]

14. Allergies...are one issue...and they tend to swarm on people

I've seen them cover someone's leg and they don't know they are them and they sting all at once. I've had that happen to me too, only I had like 10 or 20 which got me at once. I'm not allergic to them and they really don't bother me too much. They come out of their nests when it is wet.

There is Amdro fire ant bait which is about the best method of controlling them.

I think most of the people in flood areas see them and avoid them. Their nests are flooded, they have nowhere to go, so they get in a big ball and float!

[angstlessk]

7. When I was in FL I inadvertently stepped on a fire ant hill..

..they did not bite till there were a dozen or more on my ankle...and it HURT!

I shoulda heard the referee's whistle, cause there MUST have been one?

[Mariana]

12. They actually don't bite you, they sting.

With stingers, like wasps. They inject venom, too.

[angstlessk]

16. Explains the intense pain...

folks used the banned DDT to kill the nest...

[malaise]

8. Freaking Wow!

Damn scary

[Gothmog]

9. This also happened during Allison in Houston

[GoCubsGo]

10. That has long been commonplace here in the South.

I see it all the time after heavy rains, especially when they come after droughts, when normally moist areas dry out, creating more places for the ants to exploit. A former colleague of mine once accidentally fell onto a log full of fire ants in a recently-inundated wetland. He wound up in the hospital, and was lucky that one of his coworkers knew enough to give him an antihistamine while she called 911.

[irisblue]

15. The Aussies must be laughing

In looking at their wild life.