A new report commissioned by the Ministry of Environment is outlining some growing concerns about European fire ants in BC.

It finds that if the critters are not controlled or checked on a regular basis, they could eat their way through populated places like schoolyards, golf courses, and gardens (both personal and community).

After that, they’d move into people’s homes with estimates suggesting more than half a million people along the coastline could be affected.

In BC, fire ant sightings have doubled over the past year, especially around the Lower Mainland.

The insects are very hard to stop and unfortunately, there are few successful ways to treat them. It’s believed they are arriving here in various plants and garden soils.