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Farmers Cautioned, Movement of Quarantined Pests in Livestock Feed Prohibited

N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services cautioned farmers to take steps to reduce risk of moving plant pests with hay or feeds.

September 20, 2007

COUNTY NC NEWS -- Currently, all 100 counties in North Carolina are classified as experiencing severe to exceptional drought. With farmers are moving hay and alternative forages to feed their livestock, the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has cautioned farmers to take steps to reduce the risk of moving unwanted plant pests with hay or alternative feeds. North Carolina has placed into quarantine four unwanted plant pests, imported fire ants, gypsy moths, witchweed and other noxious weeds. Movement of these pests or other regulated articles (hay, feeds) they inhabit from quarantined areas is prohibited, except under certificate or permit by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Plant Industry Division.

Fire Ants Quarantined in North Carolina

Both red imported fire ants "Solenopsis invicta Buren," and Black imported fire ants "Solenopsis richteri Forel" are pests of urban, agricultural and wildlife areas and can pose a serious health threat to plants and animals. These ants are medium-sized ants that build mounds of soft soil. They are rarely larger than 18" in diameter. Imported fire ants vary in size from 1/16 to almost 1/4 inch long, with the largest workers 2 or 3 times larger than the smallest. When disturbed, fire ants emerge aggressively and sting. Their sting usually leaves a white pustule on the skin. Fire ants are from South America. They entered the U.S. through Mobile, Alabama, probably in soil used for ships' ballasts. They were accidentally introduced around the 1930's and have been spreading since. Imported fire ant movement is under quarantine in North Carolina.

The gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar, is one of North America's most devastating forest pests. Known to feed on the foliage of hundreds of species of plants in North America with the most common hosts being aspen, maples and oaks. Gypsy moths inhabit trees and shrubs. Regulated articles include logs, pulpwood and cut Christmas trees, so for the purpose of this article, Gypsy moths will be ignored.

Witchweed (Striga asiatica) is a parasitic plant that attacks some of the most important crops in the United States–corn, sorghum, sugar cane, and rice. It also parasitizes certain weedy grasses. Unlike most weeds, which merely compete with crops, parasites like witchweed directly damage crops. They rob nutrients and moisture by tapping directly into the host's root system. Since its discovery in North and South Carolina, witchweed's spread has been halted, and the acreage supporting it has been reduced by 99 percent, from 450,000 acres to about 3,400 acres.

N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Plant Industry Division participates in the federal Noxious Weeds Program. The APHIS Federal noxious weed program is designed to prevent the introduction of non-indigenous invasive plants and spread of newly introduced invasive plants within the United States. APHIS noxious weed activities include exclusion, permitting, eradication of incipient infestations, survey, data management, public education, and integrated management of introduced weeds, including biological control. There are three classes of Noxious Weeds quarantined in North Carolina:

Class A Noxious Weeds.
  • Crassula helmsii (Swamp Stonecrop)
  • Lagarosiphon spp. (African Elodea)
  • Polygonum perfoliatum (Mile-a-Minute)
  • Salvinia spp. (all except S. minima) (Water Fern)
  • Trapa spp. (Water-Chestnut)
Class B Noxious Weeds
  • Carduus acanthoides L. (Plumeless Thistle)
  • Carduus nutans L. (Musk Thistle)
  • Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. (Canada Thistle)
  • Ludwigia hexapetala (Hook & Arn.)
  • Zardini, Gu & Raven (Uruguay Waterprimrose)
  • Lythrum spp.(Any Lythrum spp. not native to North Carolina)
  • Myriophyllum spicatum L. (Eurasian Watermilfoil)
  • Rorippa sylvestris (L.) Bess. (Yellow Fieldcress)
  • Stachys floridana Shuttlew. (Florida Betony)
  • Tribulus terrestris L. (Puncturevine)
Class C Noxious Weeds
  • Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb. (Bittersweet, Oriental)

Counties in North Carolina that are under quarantine for fire ants, witchweed and other noxious weeds are tabulated below. Permits or certificates are required for moving hay and forage from these areas.

County Imported Fire Ant* Witchweed** Other Noxious Weeds Gypsy Moth***
ALAMANCE No No No No
ANSON Yes No No No
ASHE No No Yes No
AVERY No No Yes No
BEAUFORT Yes No No No
BERTIE Yes No No No
BLADEN Yes Yes Yes No
BRUNSWICK Yes No Yes No
BUNCOMBE No No Yes No
CABARRUS Yes No No No
CAMDEN Yes No No No
CARTERET Yes No No No
CHATHAM Yes No Yes No
CHEROKEE Yes No No No
CHOWAN Yes No No No
CLAY Yes No No No
CLEVELAND Yes No Yes No
COLUMBUS Yes Yes Yes No
CRAVEN Yes No No No
CUMBERLAND Yes Yes Yes No
CURRITUCK Yes No No Yes
DARE Yes No No Yes
DUPLIN Yes No No No
DURHAM Yes No Yes No
EDGECOMBE Yes No No No
FORSYTH No No Yes No
GASTON Yes No Yes No
GRANVILLE No No Yes No
GREENE Yes No No No
HALIFAX No No Yes No
HARNETT Yes No No No
HAYWOOD No No Yes No
HENDERSON No No Yes No
HERTFORD Yes No No No
HOKE Yes No Yes No
HYDE Yes No Yes No
JACKSON No No Yes No
JOHNSTON Yes No No No
JONES Yes No No No
LEE Yes No No No
LENOIR Yes No No No
LINCOLN No No Yes No
MADISON No No Yes No
MARTIN Yes No No No
MECKLENBERG Yes No No No
MITCHELL No No Yes No
MONTGOMERY Yes No No No
MOORE Yes No No No
NASH Yes No No No
NEW HANOVER Yes No Yes No
NORTHAMPTON No No Yes No
ONSLOW Yes No Yes No
ORANGE Yes No Yes No
PAMLICO Yes No No No
PASQUOTANK Yes No No No
PENDER Yes Yes No No
PERQUIMANS Yes No Yes No
PITT Yes No No No
POLK Yes No No No
RANDOLPH Yes No Yes No
RICHMOND Yes No No No
ROBESON Yes Yes No No
ROWAN No No Yes No
RUTHERFORD No No Yes No
SAMPSON Yes Yes No No
SCOTLAND Yes No No No
STANLY Yes No No No
TYRRELL Yes No Yes No
UNION Yes No No No
WAKE Yes No Yes No
WARREN No No Yes No
WASHINGTON Yes No No No
WATAUGA No No Yes No
WAYNE Yes No No No
YANCEY No No Yes No

* The counties of Bertie, Cabarrus, Camden, Cherokee, Chowan, Clay, Currituck, Dare, Durham, Edgecombe, Gaston, Hertford, Martin, Nash, Orange, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Randolph, and Stanly are partially regulated.

** All counties in the Witchweed quarantine list are partially regulated.

*** Dare County is partially regulated.

Hay and forage from outside North Carolina also must be accompanied by a certificate or permit issued by an authorized agriculture department representative in the state of origin. The document must certify that the material is free of plant pests such as fire ants, other insects and noxious weeds.

North Carolina Farmers should contact the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Plant Industry Division at (919) 733-6932 or toll-free, 1-800-206-9333, before moving hay and forage. A plant pest specialist may need to visit the farm to inspect the forage.

Published by:
Rob Cross
mailto:editor@357news.com

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