Bee careful: nasty red ants from the Southeastern U.S. are hitching rides west via beehives and wreaking havoc

摘要

For some fruit growers, nothing symbolizes spring and the beginning of a new crop year more than a flatbed truck loaded with beehives. But because many bee colonies come from out-of state beekeepers, the California Department of Food and Agriculture(CDFA) warns growers to be on the lookout for an unwanted hitchhiker -- the Red Imported Fire Ant. This tiny, brownish-red insect is common in 12 Southeastern U.S. states. Where established, the pest aggressively expands its colony by feeding on crops and eliminating competing insects. The pest will attack anything that intrudes upon its colony. Where it has been found in California agricultural lands, the introduction has been traced back to beehives imported from out-of-state beekeepers.