North Carolina Expands Fire Ant Quarantine

North Carolina has issued an extended quarantine for the imported fire ant that now includes at least a portion of 67 counties, including Pasquotank.

Other area counties on the updated list include Camden, Chowan and Perquimans. A small portion of lower Currituck County is also now included in the quarantine which had covered counties in mostly the southern and eastern portions of the state.

The updated quarantine is designed to keep the fire ants out of the northwestern counties that have not shown signs of fire ant mounds.

Because of the quarantine, residents and business owners in the affected counties will now be required to obtain a permit before moving nursery plants, sod, hay, straw, logs, pulpwood and related materials in any areas not currently affected by fire ants.