New Map Shows Dangerous Fire Ants Right Across Missouri’s Border

This is one of those situations where you hope no one inadvertently ends up with fire ants and takes them on a trip. A new map shows that they wouldn't have to travel far to become a problem for Missouri as they're right across the border right now.

The USDA has a federal quarantine on imported fire ants. If you look at their most recent map showing the known areas where these dangerous pests are, you'll notice they are right across the tip of Missouri's bootheel.

Fire ants are a hazard to animals, people and even machinery. The USDA says "a single fire ant can sting repeatedly" and that's the perfect way to ruin a day. Once they are disturbed, they will spiral upward whatever disturbed them be that animals or humans and their sting is painful and dangerous.

The problem with managing the known populations of fire ants is they can easily travel if they find a way to get into agricultural commodities that are transported somewhere. As you can see by the map shared by the USDA, Missouri is in the danger zone from known fire ant locations in Arkansas and Tennessee. The good news is the Mississippi River provides a barrier, but that wouldn't stop fire ants that end up in a truck with crops crossing into the state.

The USDA has a helpful guide on how to prevent fire ant population spread. This nasty pest is something that Missouri agriculture does not need.