Be careful when buying hay from Southern States

Be Careful When Buying Hay from Southern States
Livestock producers should take precautions when purchasing baled hay from southern United States as Imported Fire Ants could be transported within the bales. United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently sent information regarding this pest to your local University of Missouri Extension offices.
Imported fire ants pose a serious threat to people, young and newborn animals and crops. These non-native pests often make their way into hay bales, which are transported to other areas where other colonies can be established.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service works to further prevent the spread by enforcing a Federal quarantine and cooperating with Imported fire ant infested states to regulate the movement of certain articles. Regulated articles include baled hay and baled straw that are stored in direct contact with the ground; soil; plants and sod with roots and soil attached that are stored outdoors and intended for commercial sale; used soil-moving equipment; and any other article or means of conveyance determined to pose a risk of spreading imported fire ants.
Hay from inside the quarantined area can be shipped anywhere else inside the quarantined area. However, hay from inside the quarantined area is not permitted to move outside the quarantined area.
APHIS has approved treatments for most regulated articles that kill fire ants and prevent new ant infestations. Once businesses have successfully treated their regulated items, APHIS will issue certificates/permits that allow the movement of those items to locations outside of quarantined areas.
Quarantined maps can be found online at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/fireants/downloads/fireant.pdf. Imported fire ants are in 13 states (Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas). These ants were unintentionally introduced into the United States from South America and now infest more than 320 million acres.
Imported fire ants may look like ordinary ants, but they are far from ordinary. They are best distinguished by their aggressive behavior and mound-shaped nests. They respond rapidly and aggressively when disturbed, clamping onto their victims and stinging repeatedly. Each insect injects a dose of venom that causes a burning sensation, earning these pests the name of fire ants.
Currently, we do not have this pest in Missouri and this is a pest that we do not want. There are many examples where pests are introduced causing harm to crops and agriculture. Let’s be informed and be careful.
For more information, contact Wayne Flanary at 660-446-3724 or Heather Benedict at 660-425-6434, Regional Agronomists or any other University of Missouri Agriculture Extension Specialists.