Non Repellent Insecticide Prevents Fire Ant Infestations in Nursery Plant Root Balls The red imported fire ant has been a persistent pest in the United States for nearly a century, causing an estimated $8 billion in economic damage annually.
Their spread is largely attributed to the transportation of nursery plants, which often harbor these pests. Researchers from the U. S.
Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, in collaboration with Tennessee State University, investigated the efficacy of non repellent insecticides against fire ants infesting boxwood plant root balls.