Fire Ants Essay -- essays research papers

Fire AntsFire emmets have been in the United States for over sixty years, and almostevery American that lives in or frequently visits the quarantined states whichthey inhabit has had an unpleasant run in with these troublesome critters.Inhabitants of the Southeast who have ever stood unwittingly atop a sack up antmound know that the insects atomic number 18 aptly named. When the ants sting it creates asensation similar to scorching caused by a hot needle soupcon the skinmomentarily (1. Tschinkel 474). Fire ants are native to South America and wereintroduced to the United States in 1928 through a port in Mobile, Alabama. Theants were stowaways hidden in soil used for ballast and in dunnage dropped offthe ships once they had sailed from South America to the ports of Alabama (2.Lockley 31). The two basic species of muster out ants in the United States are theare moody and red, they vary in length from one eighth to one quarter inch.Black fire ants arrived first followed shortly b y the notorious imported redfire ants. Black ants (Solenopsis Richteri Forel) were the first to arrive and administer slowly but steadily despite government intervention to stop them fromspreading(3. Lockley 33). These black ants would spread much further then thesecond waving of imported ants recognized as Solenopsis Invicta Buren or redfire ants(4. Lockley 33). This second wave of ants arrived in about 1945 andspread much more rapidly and dominated the previous more passive black ant(5.Lockley 34). Homer Collins, a fire ant expert, stated that "The new invader,known as the red imported fire ant, proved more adaptive and rapidly displacedthe existing imported black ant. By 1949, Solenopsis Invicta Buren were thedominant species of imported fire ant. Ants could be found in commercialornamental-plant nurseries in the heart of the Southeast." Red ants are aparticularly battleful ant species that, like the killer bees, are rapidlyspreading northward from the Southeastern Uni ted States, and have traveled asfar west as Texas and as far north as North Carolina. "Experts predict that theants may eventually reach as far west as California and as far north asChesapeake Bay."(7. Tschinkel 474). The spread of fire ants into new areasdepends on many factors the existing level of fire ant population, climate,competition, and natural predators . In areas where new(prenominal) ant popul... ...ed States over sixty years ago. Even in1997 society has not found an effective way to exterminate or control the spreadof these troublesome insects. As piece chooses to genetically experiment withspecies and continues to connect the remote areas of the world with faster andmore efficient means of moving food and goods. Occurrences of accidentaltransportation of troublesome pests, bacteria, and viruses will also increase.The fire ant while costly and annoying wont cause the absolute destruction of liveliness as we know it. Fire ants are however a reminder that ecosy stems are adelicately balanced environments with forces that keep the food chainfunctioning. The fire ant and the African killer bee do not have naturalenemies in the Southern United States that reside in South Africa. As mankinddestroys the rain forests of South America for cattle grazing, he has releasedthings like the Hunta virus, and the Ebola virus in Africa. Both of theseviruses could rapidly destroy populations. Mankind has made tremendous leaps inknowledge and technology during this century. If this use of that technologyis not metered and controlled intelligently it may be the downfall of themankind.