![]() Invasive species disrupt habitats, crowd out and endanger native plants and animals, choke waterways and deplete water resources, spread disease, and even increase fire risk. But Sonoma County is under constant siege from a dizzying array of invasive plants, animals, insects and microbes.Īnd the problems they cause can be huge. Inside, he found 10 vials holding live ants, one with eggs and adults of the red fire ant, invicta (ants are the diet of choice for some reptiles, including the horned lizard). Last summer agricultural biologist David Jagdeo was on duty in Petaluma inspecting shipments when he opened an unmarked package from Texas on its way to a local pet store. But they still haven't turned up in Sonoma County and Northern California. Originally native to South America, imported red fire ants are now well-established in large colonies across many places in the southern United States. They pack a burning, painful sting, react aggressively if their nest is disturbed, and have the nasty habit of stinging and biting repeatedly in swarms after climbing your legs. As anyone who's met one can testify, it's a notoriously bad actor. Take the imported red fire ant, Solenopsis invicta. They are invasive plant and animal species, and stopping them is a full-time job, particularly in places with a lot of agriculture at stake, like Wine Country.īut trying to manage, or at least slow them down, is a challenge, because, according to state and local authorities, most of the invaders are getting a free ride in: from humans. To some, they're a little like invaders from space in a science fiction movie: nearly invisible, hard to detect, and with a mission to destroy.
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