Fire Ants Essay -- essays research papers

Fire AntsFire emmets develop been in the United States for oer sixty years, and almostevery the Statesn that lives in or oftentimes visits the quarantined states whichthey inhabit has had an unpleasant run in with these troublesome critters.Inhabitants of the southeastern United States who have ever stood unwittingly atop a displace antmound know that the insects are aptly named. When the ants sting it creates a mavin similar to scorching caused by a hot needle jot the skinmomentarily (1. Tschinkel 474). Fire ants are native to siemens America and wereintroduced to the United States in 1928 through a port in Mobile, Alabama. Theants were stowaways unfathomable in soil used for ballast and in dunnage dropped offthe ships at one time they had sailed from South America to the ports of Alabama (2.Lockley 31). The two basic species of fire ants in the United States are theare black and red, they vary in duration from one eighth to one quarter inch. filthy fire ants arrived low followed shortly by the infamous imported redfire ants. Black ants (genus Solenopsis Richteri Forel) were the first to arrive and col slowly but steadily despite government intervention to stop them from cattle ranch(3. Lockley 33). These black ants would spread much just then thesecond wave of imported ants recognized as Solenopsis Invicta Buren or redfire ants(4. Lockley 33). This second wave of ants arrived in roughly 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, be 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 a oddly aggressive ant species that, like the killer bees, are rapidlyspreading northward from the South eastern United States, and have traveled as cold westside as Texas and as far north as join 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 other ant popul... ...ed States over sixty years ago. Even in1997 society has not found an impressive way to exterminate or control the spreadof these troublesome insects. As mankind chooses to genetically experiment withspecies and continues to connect the remote areas of the world with fast-paced andmore efficient means of moving food and goods. Occurrences of accidental expatriate of troublesome pests, bacteria, and viruses will also increase.The fire ant while high-priced and annoying wont cause the absolute destruction of action as we know it. Fire ants are however a admon isher that ecosystems are adelicately balanced environments with forces that keep the food cooking stovefunctioning. 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. gentleman has made tremendous leaps inknowledge and applied science during this century. If this use of that technologyis not metered and controlled intelligently it may be the downfall of themankind.