Quarantine authorities have carried out emergency control operations after red fire ants, whose potent venom causes pain and shock, were discovered at Incheon New Port.
According to the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency on Wednesday, 10 red fire ants were found on the floor of the yard at Sun Kwang New Container Terminal in Incheon New Port on May 5.
Quarantine authorities immediately installed a barrier using netting and adhesive paint within a 5-meter radius of the discovery site and conducted a detailed investigation. During a joint expert inspection that followed, they additionally confirmed 10 larvae and more than 200 worker and soldier ants.
To prevent the spread of the red fire ants, authorities installed 1,000 ant-capture traps and completed disinfection work on containers within a 50-meter radius. They also carried out emergency control measures, including spraying insecticide on the surrounding soil.
The red fire ant is one of the "100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species" designated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Worker ants are 2 to 6 millimeters long, have no wings, and are dark reddish-brown in color. They have a venomous stinger at the tip of the abdomen and can attack people. Queen ants are 9 to 10 millimeters in size and shed their wings after their nuptial flight.
A sting from a red fire ant can cause severe pain and itching. In some people, it can trigger serious allergic reactions such as dizziness, difficulty breathing, and anaphylactic shock. Its venom is weaker than that of the Asian giant hornet but stronger than that of a honeybee.
Deaths caused by red fire ants have been reported one after another overseas. The species originates from central South America and is known to inhabit 26 countries, including China, Taiwan, and the United States.
"We believe the ants entered through an imported container from overseas and are investigating the exact route of entry," an official at the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency said.
Meanwhile, red fire ants were also found on the floor of the yard at the Western Container Terminal of Gwangyang Port in South Jeolla Province on May 4 and on June 1.
