From 1940 to 1970 fire ants spread through many southern states, sometimes at a rate of 100 miles in a year. what was the cause of their spread over this distance?

Imported fire ants first came to the United States around 1930. Now there are five times more ants per acre in the United States than in their native South America. The fire ants that came to the United States escaped their natural enemies and thrived in the southern landscape.

Fire ants bite and sting. They are aggressive when stinging and inject venom, which causes a burning sensation. Red bumps form at the sting, and within a day or two they become white fluid-filled pustules.

While red imported fire ants first terrorized the U.S. in the 1930s, it wasn't until the '70s that scientists discovered a new and more threatening form of fire ant in Mississippi. Each of these ant colonies supported multiple queens. This presented a much greater threat because the tightly-packed, multiple-queen colonies drove out native ant species and other animals. Today, multi-queen colonies dominate Texas, and may be ready to spread throughout the country. The red imported fire ants originated in the Alabama-Mississippi area, but have spread all the way to the Western part of the United States!.

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