"Red Imported Fire Ant (RIFA), Solenopsis invicta Buren, was first introduced to the United States via Mobile, Alabama in 1918. This pest has since spread throughout most of the southeastern U.S. including most of North Carolina. Eradication of this pest is unlikely at this point so research is focused on controlling the imported fire ant."
Fresh from the NCDA&CS Plant Industry Division Plant Protection Section:
