news-record.com

North Carolina has expanded a state quarantine for the imported fire ant to include portions of Guilford and Alamance counties.

The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services says the quarantine expansion means residents and business owners in portions of Alamance and Guilford counties will now need to obtain a permit before moving plants, sod and related equipment into or through non-infested areas.

The quarantine, which now includes portions or entire areas of 70 counties, was expanded locally to include:

• Alamance County - The area south of Interstate 85 from the Guilford County line to the Orange County line.
• Guilford County - The area south of Interstate 40 from the Alamance County line to the Forsyth County line.

Items requiring a permit include sod, soil, hay and straw, nursery plant material, logs or pulpwood with soil, and soil-moving equipment. Movement of infested materials could result in the establishment and secondary spread of the pest to non-infested areas.

Certificates can be obtained from a local plant protection specialist or by contacting the Plant Protection Section at (800) 206-9333 or (919) 733-6932.

More details, including a map of the quarantine area, is online here.