Killer Ants Invade Montecito

[Updated: Mon., July 22, 2024, 3 p.m.]

As if Santa Barbara County hadn’t seen enough heat recently, red imported fire ants (RIFA) have infiltrated Montecito. 

The infestation is believed to have originated from the importation of RIFA-infested nursery stock shipped from Riverside County in September 2023. 

These foreign invaders — native to South America — are distinguishable from local species due to their highly aggressive nature, capable of biting and stinging humans, pets, and livestock, typically in defense of their colony.

The Santa Barbara County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office is actively responding to the infestation. They warn that venom from RIFA stings can cause painful pustules on the skin, and can be particularly dangerous, even fatal, to sensitive groups or those with an allergy to the venom.

RIFA stings are particularly hazardous to fieldworkers and pose “a significant risk to California agriculture via its feeding on a wide variety of hosts, especially turf in both residential and institutional settings.” The ants can also clog irrigation systems and damage electrical wiring. 

Additionally, they burn holes in California wallets, as they require a quarantine of nursery products to prevent them from being accidentally shipped in potting soil to new areas. Nursery products are crucial for Santa Barbara County’s agricultural economy, ranking second in value (below strawberries) in the county’s 2023 Crop and Livestock Report at more than $120 million. 

There are currently no RIFA quarantines in Santa Barbara County, and this is the only known infestation in the county. However, these ants have established themselves in other parts of the state, particularly quarantined areas in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties.  

The fiery infestation is currently confined to one Montecito property, and the County Agricultural Commissioner is “keeping a close eye out” for any indication or threat of the ants spreading, said County Public Information Officer Kelsey Buttitta. No evacuations are necessary.

This is not the first time Santa Barbara County has faced a RIFA infestation, and, last time, the ants were successfully eradicated.

“We are hopeful we can eradicate the infestation this year,” said the County Agricultural Commissioner’s office.
“However, the last infestation took two years. After eradication, we will monitor annually for up to 5 years.”  

Agricultural Commissioner’s Office staff are conducting regular surveys of the property currently impacted with oversight and collaboration from the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE), and Riverside County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office staff. 

Appropriate treatments — which, currently, involves drenching the colonies with insecticide and using bait to poison the ants — are also being conducted by a licensed and registered pest control business based upon UCCE guidance and with oversight by the County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office staff. 

Community members who believe they may have found RIFA are encouraged to contact any of the Santa Barbara County Agricultural Commissioner’s offices or bring in a sample. To find out more about RIFA, click on this link.