Quote:
Originally Posted by e2ksj3
Thanks for the response everyone. So it looks like the pest are here to stay, huh, lol? Just curious how much cold can they withstand. Would they be able to thrive in the northeast or midwest like they have thrived in the southeast now or will the cold keep them from going too far north?
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If you want to make a non-scientific comparison, there are maps online that show the "range" of the fire ant. You can compare those with a "Zone Map" used to determine temperature ranges for planting.
Map of RIFA (all time)
Map of Red Imported Fire Ant (IFA), Solenopsis invicta - Pest Tracker - NAPIS
updated (for 2006) "zone map" from Arbor Day Foundation
Hardiness Zone Lookup at arborday.org
Here's what I think after reading a few articles and papers about them. They don't seem to be able to move the colony into areas where there are extended temperatures well below freezing that include dips into the -10F range.
They could prove me wrong though. And we're warming up, so they may be able to move north, however slow, with the gradual warming of the climate (natural or manmade, take your pick).
I think these now-infrequent artic blasts that keep the southern states below freezing for several days and include some teens and single digits in the middle south do help us keep them in check, but I can't prove it.