Plant Industry - Regulated Articles - Imported Fire Ant

Movement of the pest, Imported Fire Ant, or other Regulated Articles from Quarantine Areas is prohibited except under certificate or permit. Certificates or permits may be obtained from a NCDA&CS Plant Protection Specialist in your area, or by contacting the Plant Protection Section at 919-707-3730.

The Following Regulated Articles Require a Certificate or Permit Year-Round:

1. The imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren, Solenopsis richteri Forel) in any living stage of development.
2. Soil, compost, decomposed manure, humus, muck and peat, separately or with other things.
3. Plants with roots with soil attached, and/or roots and rhizomes of plants with soil attached (example: sweetpotatoes).
4. Grass sod.
5. Hay and straw.
6. Logs, pulpwood, and stumpwood.
7. Used mechanized soil-moving equipment.
8. Any character whatsoever, not covered by Items (1) to (7), when it is determined by an inspector that they present a hazard of spread of imported fire ant and the person in possession thereof has been so notified.

The following regulated articles are exempt from certification and permit requirements from all regulated areas under the applicable conditions prescribed in the Imported Fire Ant Regulations:

1. Soil samples of one pound or less which are packaged so that no soil will be spilled in transit and are consigned to laboratories operating under compliance agreement.
2. Soil samples of any size collected and shipped to any U.S. Army Corps of Engineers soil laboratory.
3. Compost, decomposed manure, humus and peat, if dehydrated, ground, pulverized, or compressed.
4. Logs and pulpwood, provided, the loading site has been treated.
5. Stumpwood, if free of excessive amounts of soil, provided, the railroad loading site has been treated and the stumpwood is consigned to a designated plant.
6. Used mechanized soil-moving equipment, if cleaned and repainted.
7. Material being safely transported to a U.S. Department of Agriculture approved laboratory.