Imported Fire Ants in Tennessee

Federal quarantine regulations mandate specific fire ant treatment(s) for plants to be shipped to areas free of fire ants, but each infested state may have additional regulations and agencies that enforce them. In Tennessee the department of agriculture division of regulatory services established the Imported Fire Ant Quarantine Rule  in 1990.  Treatment suggestions approved for commercially produced ornamental plants to be shipped out of a quarantined area can be found in Imported Fire Ant 2005: Quarantine Treatments for Nursery Stock and other Regulated Articles. A list of products available for use in the IFA Federal Quarantine can be found at the USDA, APHIS, PPQ Soil Inhabiting Pest Section website under "Technology". The APHIS, PPQ updates this site regularly. We also have a modified table to include distributors for Tennessee growers. In all cases the producer must obtain a Compliance Agreement from the state regulatory agency. Greenhouse-grown plants may be exempt from quarantine treatment regulations if an inspector determines that the facility is tightly closed, but the grower still must have a Compliance Agreement.

A copy of the entire "Imported Fire Ant Program Manual," which describes treatment programs for complying with the United States Department of Agriculture imported fire ant quarantine regulations, may be obtained from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine, Domestic and Emergency Operations (4700 River Road Unit 134, Riverdale, Maryland 20737-1236).

2007 Federal Imported Fire Ant Quarantine Map:
http://fireants.utk.edu/documents/2007 IFA map_1.pdf

2007 Tennessee Imported Fire Ant Quarantine Map:
http://fireants.utk.edu/documents/ifaQuarbyyear.PNG

2007 Tennessee Imported Fire Ant Quarantine County List:
http://fireants.utk.edu/documents/IMPORTED FIRE ANT QUAR2007v4.pdf

Additional information on the Imported Fire Ant Quarantine in Tennessee can be found at Tennessee Department of Agriculture Fire Ant Web site which contains the following:

Economic Impact of Fire Ants in Tennessee

Imported Fire Ant Quarantine

Materials Regulated By The Imported Fire Ant Quarantine

Requirements For Growers Concerning The Imported Fire Ant Quarantine

Transportation Of Regulated Items From Quarantined To Non-quarantined Areas

Consequences Of Breaking The Imported Fire Ant Quarantine

What Can I Do If I Buy Products Infested With Imported Fire Ants?