Fire ants are on the march again

Fire ants are making a comeback in Orange County, years after being nearly eradicated from the area, pest-control authorities report.

Recent findings indicate the ants, named for the fiery sting of their bite, are expanding their range along county borders.

The red ants had been kept largely under control within the county because of a homeowner fee approved by voters to pay for local ant control.

But state lawmakers cut the funding for fire-ant control, which allowed ants to build up their numbers, said Les Greenberg, a UC Riverside entomology specialist.

California Food and Agriculture Department spokesman Steve Lyle said the state still spends $1 million a year on a fire-ant program, and disagreed that the withdrawal of state funds helped the ants expand.