高中(學測,指考)◆英文題庫下載題庫

53-56為題組

     Originally from tropical South America, the red fire ant gained entry to the United States through the port of Mobile, Alabama in the late 1930s on cargo ships, but the first colony of the red ants was not found until 1942 by a 13-year-old boy in his backyard.

        It immediately began to thrive in the new land and colonies spread quickly throughout the southeastern states. By 1975 the red imported fire ant had colonized over 52 million hectares of the United States. Now, it has infested more than 275 million hectares in the country.

      Red imported fire ants build mounds in any type of soil. They also make mounds indoors. Each nest used to have but one queen, but now many mounds are often found with multiple queens. With multiple queens at work, its population increases rapidly. It’s common to find a nest with over 25,000 workers.

     Red imported fire ants can cause a number of problems. They construct their colonies on precious farmland, invading crops while searching for insects underground. They also like to make their mounds in sunny areas, heavily infesting lawns and pastures. They can quickly strip fruit trees of their fruit. Small birds such as baby quails are fair game to the expanding colony. They appear to be attracted to electromagnetic fields and attack electrical insulation or wire connections. They can cause electrical shorts, fires, and other damage to electrical equipment. Worst of all, their stings can be fatal to livestock and humans.