Fire Ants Invading North Carolina Are
Described As Vicious And Destructive
, Just what kind of critter is
the Imported fire ant?
This question might be In the
minds of many people readlngor
hearing about the Imported fire
ant
subject of an Intensive
eradication campaign about to
get underway In North Carolina.
C. H. Brannon, state entomo¬
logist of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, gives
this thumbnail sketch of the
imported fire anT
The imported fire ant is a na¬
tive of South America. It en¬
tered this country around 1918.
but because It closely resem¬
bled native fire ants (in looks)
it was not identified as a sepa¬
rate species umtil 1930.
Imported fire ants are small
in size. Worker ants vary from
one-eighth to one-fourth inch
long, but they make up for their
lack of size by their aggres¬
siveness and numbers.
As fighters, they have few
equals. They will bite and
sting anything that goes near
their mounds. On the attack
they sink their jaws into the
flesh, bring their abdomen for¬
ward and drive their stinger into
the skin injecting a poison. The
stings are painful and cause a
FARM AGENT
NEWS
LEONARD C. COOPER
Negro County Agent
G. W. KOONCE
Ant. Negro County Agent
Capable Of
Larger Cuke Crop
Warren County Is nursing a
silent industry In the field of
cucumber production. With the
high demand for cukes In North
Warren
--
Carolina and the nation, there
is no reason why we cannot boost
our farm Income by a substan¬
tial amount from the productlon of cukes.
All of us should plant and
fertilize this crop to ascertain
maximum yields. The State
average yield is 200 bushels per
acre. We can do better than
State this year. We have farm¬
ers
grossing
-
$400.00
to
$500.
matlon on registering and tor
parsons who are interested in
volunteering to help In this im¬
Voter Registration Drive
Is Underway In Warren
Negro
portant movement. All Interest¬
ed citizens are asked to help
make this registration drive
a big success.
The Voter Education Project
The Warre n County Voters erature throughout the county. of Atlanta, Georgia has ex¬
Registration Project Is cur¬
Headquarters for the
pressed enthusiastic Interest
rently conducting an extensive has been set up on East project
Frank¬ In the efforts of the Warren
to
campaign
get every quail- lin Street In Warrenton on the County
and Is expected
fled citizen In Warren, Vance second floor of Brown's Build¬ to makeProject
a grant to help finance
and Franklin counties register¬ ing. This office Is open
dally the registration efforts, Mrs.
ed by May 30, Mrs. Eva Clay¬ to assist anyone desiringln/orClayton said.
ton of Warrenton, co-chairman
of the project, said yesterday.
Serving with Mrs. Clayton as
co-chairman is Spencer Skipper
of Norlina. Mrs. Edna Wright
is secretary of the committee,
FOR
SALE
DH0 Series II
and Tom Basket Is treasurer.
The Voters' Registration
Committee, Mrs. Clayton said,
Is composed of representatives
from the NAACP, Multi-County
Civic Association, and other
civic and religious organiza¬
tions
throughout the three
counties.
"The need for all citizens
to express themselves In a
representative government Is
vital to the democratic Ideal,"
Mrs. Clayton said. "Many cit¬
izens have not been conscience
of the Importance of voting and
participating fully In the poli¬
tical life of their community.
This voter Registration Project
is a non
partisan effort to
stimulate all citizens to function
fully as a citizen by register¬
ing and voting on all Issues and
Tractor
TRACTOR
00 per acre.
Two major production factors
for good yields are, fertilization
and harvesting. You must use
8-8-8 fertilizer at planting be¬
cause it has sulphate of potash,
COLE PLANTER, FERTILIZER
and grain fertilizer carrying
nurlate of potash will not give
DISC HARROW,
DISC
these cucumber plants the
HILLERS, TOBACCO H1LLERS, FUMIGATION
desired potash nutrient when
It is most needed by the plant.
TANK AND MOWER. ALL THIS
FIRE ANT MOUNDS.Along with having
If you don't plant your cukes
feet in height. This picture was taken in
other
bad
fire
ants
many
characteristics,
IS IN GOOD CONDITION AND IS A STEAL
the lower South where fire ants have been
by April 31, you're late and
caii outdo other ants In mound building.
will be late for
a problem for many years.
consequently
AT THE PRICE OF
Some of their mounds are ud to three
il'SDA nhnfn*!
harvesting. Cucumber produc¬
tion is a big and growing busi¬ candidates."
festering sore susceptible to in¬ portant in NorthCarollnawhere to
quickly and widely is After the soybean oil (am! ness
fection. The stings are danger¬ livestock production and dairy¬ the spread
in North Carolina. If
The Warren Voter Registra¬
reason State and Federal insecticide) is removed from
ous to young children or per¬ ing represent a vital part of
don't plan to stay ahead Its tion Project will \\ork coopera¬
control
officials
are the corncob grils, the worker you
plant
sons allergic to the poison. One the agricultural economy.
a known fact that you're not tively with the state program of
anxious to clear up the state's ants
remove the grits
mound may contain 100,000 Another
only
going to be left behind, the NAACP and other civic or¬
strong suit of only large infestation in Car¬ from dutifully
the mound and stack them you're going to be put out of ganizations that are interested
ants.all ready and willing to imported fire ants is their teret and Craven Counties. The
in
a
neat
This
enables
pile.
cuke production, because there in voter-registration as a pro¬
fight any intruder.
adaptability. They can live on
The anuts'mound building ha¬ a great variety of food including eradication program in this pest control workers to see how are other counties that are go¬ ject. Mrs. Clayton said the drive
area
is
scheduled
to
start
this
well the ants are taking the bait. ing to do the Job and do it will include the following act¬
bits are even more disconcert¬ cabbage, corn, collards, egg¬
And, as one final Ironic note,
ing than their stinging habits. plant, and potatoes, and they month.
ivities:
Like most insects, imported plaiit pest control workers use right.
Other ants build mounds but they can tolerate a wide range of fire
(1) Workshops in churches
ants are well organized. the ants' good housekeeping subject, "Facing up to the
BOUGHT NEW IN MID '62
are pikers compared to the im¬ climatic
and homes In the 12 townships
conditions.
For Divided into three forms: (1)
of
Our
Times."
The
practices to determine the ef¬ Urgency
ported fire ant. In heavily in¬ example, at theGulfport, Miss., winged,
of
the
county.
fertile
females fectiveness of the bait. As public is cordially invited to
fested areas, 40 mounds per Imported Fire Ant Laboratory,
(2) Door-to-door canvasses
fer¬
(queens);
(2)
winged,
attend
all
Davis
said.
the
ants
die
other
ants
sessions,
off,
acre
are
common.
These the ants have beenquick-frozen
will be conducted by adult and
mounds vary in size up to about and kept at below zero temp¬ tile males; and (3) worker ants remove the bodies and place
youth leaders to contact their
the
alliance
1s
.Marriage
each
in
an
them
ant
group
"bone-yard" of two
18 inches. Since these mounds erature for two hours, thawed (sterile females),
WflRRENTON N C
neighbors and friends about PHONE 257 3930
one
of
whom
never
people
are crusty and hard, they pose out and returned to below-zero carries out its own clearly de¬ outside the mound.
registering.
and
the
remembers
birthdays
a real problem during seeding, temperatures for another two fined duties. At mating time,
(3) Distribution of voter-reg¬
other never forgets them.
fertilizing and harvesting.
hours. After being thawed out usually in the spring, queens
istration Information and litto
the
air
and
mate
with
take
Although the ants will build again, the ants were as frisky fertile males. The
queen re¬
mounds In almost any kind of as ever.
turns to earth, sheds her now
terrain, they prefer land As practical evidence of their worthless
wings, digs a brood
exposed to the sun. There¬ adaptability, it might be worth
to work lay¬
About 10 delegates from the
fore, some of the most valuable noting that the ants have already chamber andShegoes
also takes care North Unit Congregation
of Je¬
farming and pasture land is us¬ spread east-to-west from ing eggs.
of
the
first
brood.
ually hardest hit. Whenever Morehead City, N. C., to San Worker ants take care of later hovah's Witnesses herelnWarland Is cultivated only Intermit¬ Antonio, Texas, a distance of
renton will attend a three-day
fighting, and circuit convention In Hender¬
tently, as in Improved pastures, about 1,250 air miles, and broods,thehandle thewhenever
move
nec¬
colony
Imported fire ants Increase they've moved all the wav south
son, Friday, Saturday, and Sun¬
essary. The winged males die day, May 1-3, according to a
rapidly. This Is especially lm- to Miami, Florida. The ability soon
AT
after fulfilling their one statement made here
by J. R.
function
mating.
local
Davis,
presiding minisUSDA Plant Pest Control :er.
scientists, who have been fight¬ The meeting will be held at
ing these ants since 1957, are :he Eaton Johnson School in
We have full enrollment
using the imported fire ants' rienderson. More than 600 witpenchant for organization lesses from 15 other cities are
information and
against them. Only recently jxpected.
forms for
these scientists devised a new Sessions will begin Friday,
VIRGINIA
bait which has proved unusually Way 1, at 6:45 p. m. The
effective. The bait is com¬ heme of this three-day conferHEALTH tNSuf)ANC£
posed of ground corncobs, soy¬
for peopte 65 or oof
sponsored by the Watch. Filter Flo
bean oil, and a small amount mce,
ower
Is "Around the
. Water Saver ,
% no medical .lamination
of slow acting Insecticide. Be¬ Vorld Society,
with Jehovah's Wltflame less
cause of its delayed action, for¬ lesses." The
. Hot- Warm & Cold . Big 23' Master Oven, Broiler
. up to $10,000 in tifatfm* Major Medical benefits
progress of the
"
aging worker ants can carry :lrcult during the past six
Water Wash Selector
. policies won't be cancelled because of
the bait into the colony and months will be reviewed.
prolonged illness
Warm Cold Rinse
.
feed the soybean oil to the queen
Saturday's program will in¦H Solector HHBH .. Pushbutton Controls
Here is insurance protection that can help you keep
and larvae before the insecti¬ dude
Fluorescent Light
baptismal
arrangements
your independence. Virginia North Carolina 65 Health
¦
Three
Cycle
starts
effect.
If 'or new witnesses and an in¬
cide
«
taking
Insurance is available exclusively to residents of Virginia
it killed some of the ants quick¬
Including Soak
and North Carolina who are 65 or over, and to their
spiring all-color free movie
ly, the others would become vith scenes from Europe, Asia,
spouses regardless of age.
Big. 12 lb. Capacity
suspicious and leave the area and the Holy Land. The title
We will be happy to help you enroll. But ACT RIGHT
Easy Installed
before getting a fatal dose of 5f the picture Is "Proclaiming
AWAY! Enrollment April 20 May 20 only!
W/t
the insecticide.
Everlasting Good News Around
After the soybean oil (and he World."
AiK about our usy terms
insecticide) Is removed from The featured event of this
worker
the corncob grits, the
Henderson meeting will be a
HALIFAX ELECTRIC CORP. MEMBERS WILL
ants dutifully remove the grits jubllc discourse Sunday at 3:00
Til. 257-4532
Warrenton, N. C.
from the mound and stack them a. m. by the district super¬
GET
FOR CHANGING TO ELECTRIC
In a neat pile.
visor, Willie Anderson on the
w/t
ATTACHMENT,
CULTIVATORS,
PLOW,
EQUIPMENT
-
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C & S TRACTOR X EQUIPMENT CO.
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Witnesses To Hold
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GENERAL ELECTRIC
Springtime and Fertilizer Time Go Hand In Hand
12
FROST-GUARD
REFRIGERATOR-FREEZER
Smith Douglass Fertilizer
and
a
complete line of well
WE HAVE IN STOCK
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-
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NO DfFIOSTIM EVH!
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ROOMY REFRMERATOR
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12 eu. ft N«t Volume.
Per *eeh
53. 25
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and ATRAZINE for weed and grass control in cotton and
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-
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terms.fcif HiMn
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