RADIO TRANSCRIPT
June 17, 2024
Matt Rodriguez

Hello, this is Matt Rodriguez, horticulture agent with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Burke Center.

Many homeowners struggle with fire ants and other home invading pests. Today I’d like to introduce an ant that is coming to NC. It’s called the Asian Needle Ant. These Ants are predatory in nature primarily feeding on termites, but have been known to predate on our native ants and several other insects. The venom that these ants carry in their stinger can cause anaphylaxis in some people, but they are not typically aggressive. They only sting when they feel threatened. If they end up crawling on you, it’s best to flick them away quickly. These ants are hard to identify from other species. As far as treating these pests, there is no set chemical treatment, other than protein based insecticide baits that have proven to work, but it is more likely to manage them than eradicate them. NC State is still working on formalizing a treatment for these invasive pests.

This has been Matt Rodriguez with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Burke Center.  If you would like more information, you can call us at 828-764-9480.