One problem with fire ants is that just because you quarantine them, it doesn?EUR??,,????'???t mean that they will stay put. The number one pest in several southern states has been moving north, possibly hitchhiking on landscape materials such as shrubs, trees, and turf from quarantine zones Texas and Oklahoma, according to kotv.com. A federal fire ant quarantine requires that landscaping shipments be treated and held for 24 hours before being sold. However, Jeanetta Cooper, the horticulture program administrator for the Oklahoma City Agriculture Department, does not think the quarantine is respected by all vendors. ?EUR??,,????'??You know when the grocery money is on the line, (wood salespersons) don?EUR??,,????'???t always comply,?EUR??,,????'?? kotv.com reported her saying. Although the fire ant population of Oklahoma decreased during the winter of 2000-2001, the numbers are on the rise again. The ants, which threaten livestock, wildlife, and kill an average of six people per year, were discovered in Oklahoma in 1985. Lorne Hall, president of Western lawns and former president of the Oklahoma Turf Grass Research Foundation, seems to understand that not all vendors in quarantine zones sell ant-free wood. ?EUR??,,????'??In our industry, too often anybody with a pickup and a shovel is qualified to call themselves a landscaper,?EUR??,,????'?? Hall said. ?EUR??,,????'??I would encourage the public to always buy from reputable sources.?EUR??,,????'??