Red Imported Fire Ants Ravage South Carolina Hemp Crop
A pest population explosion caused ‘mind-blowing’ damage
If there’s any problematic pest Allison Justice, Ph.D., truly despises, it’s the red imported fire ant (solenopsis invicta).
These ants have been the bane of the growing season for the founder and CEO of the Cannabis Research Coalition, which conducts horticultural research, and The Hemp Mine, a hemp CBD business. On her half-acre plot of outdoor hemp plants near Clemson University in South Carolina, these pests have long been concerning, building massive mounds near the roots and causing major plant damage.
But the recent planting cycle has been worse than any other year. “This past year, the damage has been mind-blowing,” Justice tells Cannabis Business Times in an interview. “It went from a 1-percent loss due to fire ants in previous years to around 35 percent this year.”
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